1
2
as in loops
a circular strip
a decorative circle of silver on the rim of the commemorative plate for their 25th wedding anniversary
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in networks
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially
got together with her social circle once a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cycles
a series of events or actions that repeat themselves regularly and in the same order
with the birth of a child coming so soon after the death of a grandparent, we were once again reminded of the circle of life
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in areas
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
that lies outside the circle of our investigation
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in surrounds
to form a circle around
everyone circled the lectern and waited their turn to read from the Bible
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in orbits
to travel completely around
with a look of extreme frustration, the commander circled the new recruit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circles
Aria Bendix, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
Perform 10 circles in one direction (clockwise) and 10 in the other direction (counter-clockwise).
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 30 Oct. 2025
The recipe has even made its way into celebrity circles, with Keke Palmer name-dropping the TikTok star in a recent interview.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The technology has gained traction in conservative political circles, with some lawmakers expressing interest in using the company’s products at their churches, The Guardian reported.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Choose a shade under the Bisque category to counteract under-eye darkness that’s more purple, blue, or red-ish, or choose a shade under the Peach family to neutralize brown, grey, or greenish dark circles.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 29 Oct. 2025
The models showed that the stars located near the center were traveling in quick, tight circles, which is a tell-tale sign of an immense gravitational pull generated by a black hole.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
All of those crystal circles paid off.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
However in Hollywood circles, she’s known for her tips to get her body in shape.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
The menu at the motel’s restaurant, ISH Kitchen, circles the globe from Mediterranean shawarma to Japanese ramen to a Vietnamese dish of marinated ground beef wrapped in kaffir lime leaves.
—Melanie Haiken, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
Yet, as Team Ellison circles, the quick-footed WBD CEO supposedly has attracted the interest of Amazon and Netflix as potential buyers – or at least that’s the word on Warner Boulevard.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
The route circles the Yucatán and connects the peninsula to the neighboring states of Chiapas and Tabasco.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Against a palette of softly glitching synth, Zelda flute, and twittering mechanical birds, the song circles feelings of uncertainty about commitment, sacrifice, and choosing one’s true path.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
The menu circles the room to appreciative murmurs.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
But Harjo circles a fascinating and mischievous idea with Lee.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
In one instance, at finer resolution, the jet stream — a fast current of air that circles the Earth — migrated to the wrong location in the simulation.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
However, Means has gained popularity in wellness circles because of her messages about outsized corporate influence in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
Perform 10 circles in one direction (clockwise) and 10 in the other direction (counter-clockwise).
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 30 Oct. 2025
The recipe has even made its way into celebrity circles, with Keke Palmer name-dropping the TikTok star in a recent interview.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The technology has gained traction in conservative political circles, with some lawmakers expressing interest in using the company’s products at their churches, The Guardian reported.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Choose a shade under the Bisque category to counteract under-eye darkness that’s more purple, blue, or red-ish, or choose a shade under the Peach family to neutralize brown, grey, or greenish dark circles.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 29 Oct. 2025
The models showed that the stars located near the center were traveling in quick, tight circles, which is a tell-tale sign of an immense gravitational pull generated by a black hole.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
All of those crystal circles paid off.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
However in Hollywood circles, she’s known for her tips to get her body in shape.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Gentleman thief Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) circles the prize while Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) bungles the pursuit with sublime obliviousness.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
The menu at the motel’s restaurant, ISH Kitchen, circles the globe from Mediterranean shawarma to Japanese ramen to a Vietnamese dish of marinated ground beef wrapped in kaffir lime leaves.
—Melanie Haiken, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
Yet, as Team Ellison circles, the quick-footed WBD CEO supposedly has attracted the interest of Amazon and Netflix as potential buyers – or at least that’s the word on Warner Boulevard.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
The route circles the Yucatán and connects the peninsula to the neighboring states of Chiapas and Tabasco.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Against a palette of softly glitching synth, Zelda flute, and twittering mechanical birds, the song circles feelings of uncertainty about commitment, sacrifice, and choosing one’s true path.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
The menu circles the room to appreciative murmurs.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
But Harjo circles a fascinating and mischievous idea with Lee.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
In one instance, at finer resolution, the jet stream — a fast current of air that circles the Earth — migrated to the wrong location in the simulation.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circles
Noun
-
Her phone rings once and goes to voicemail.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Yang jumped in, appreciating his photo of Bailey in a black jumpsuit hoisting himself up on a set of gymnastic rings.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Charged particles originating from the corona surge into the gap but are soon snared by two great magnetic loops—the Van Allen Radiation Belts—that usually keep them from Earth’s surface.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
That's how solar rain forms in loops that are suddenly heated, like during flares.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Disney wants higher carriage fees to reflect the value of its networks, such as ESPN.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
-
While emphasizing that the president has not made a final decision on launching strikes, the story said officials indicated that any potential air campaign would focus on sites that lie at the intersection of the Nicolás Maduro regime and the country’s drug-trafficking networks.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Medenbach revealed that after 100 charging and discharging cycles, the lab cell showed no significant degradation.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Bills put the Chiefs linebackers in the spin cycles, targeting Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and even third tight end Jackson Hawes.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Tabor and Sheriff Jay Cantrell both said the new quarantine space, along with other spaces being added for medical care, the intake and release of detainees, and court proceedings may allow the sheriff's office to open some areas to new programming.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Redefine and streamline your customer engagement and product experience by deploying AI systems in high-impact areas such as order-to-cash, procure‑to‑pay, and supply chain orchestration.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Two tables have seating that surrounds screens, perfect for table-top role-playing games.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Fat that sits deep in the abdomen and surrounds vital organs is particularly dangerous, fueling inflammation, insulin resistance and cardiovascular problems, according to experts.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Venus orbits the sun in just 225 days, a shorter duration than its rotation.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Everything within the solar wind is inside the Sun’s extended atmosphere, known as the heliosphere, which means that, in a sense, Earth orbits through the Sun itself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As the fintech sector comes roaring back, companies like Ramp and Stripe have dominated headlines with eye-popping funding rounds and rapid growth.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The early rounds of the postseason were enlivened by extraordinary feats from the game’s two biggest stars, but that was just baseball clearing its throat for the World Series, which earned its title—in English, Spanish, and Japanese; in the United States and Canada—as a genuine Fall Classic.—
Steve Rushin,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circles. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share