circles 1 of 2

plural of circle
1
as in rings
something with a perfectly round circumference a circle of columns surrounds the memorial to the fallen heroes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
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

circles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of circle

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
Noun
Ping Ping, the male, has dark black circles around his eyes, while Fu Shuang, the female, has a forehead that protrudes a bit, according to the Xinhua News Agency. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 Gently scrub the area in small circles to help lift any oily or pigmented residue. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026 In some far-right, conspiracy-rich circles, Bianco’s cowboy-saving-the-day routine was viewed as heroic. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 Kevin, from the reports of many, was not so subtle in his efforts to ramp up his public relations campaign for his candidacy — and in some circles he was anointed as the favorite to be Bob’s successor. — Bob Chapek, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026 Locally, the impact will be felt mostly within its circles where sentiment swings on the outcome of the next football game. — Mac Engel september 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026 The idea has been controversial in education circles and at Yale, where the university’s endowment is estimated at $44 billion. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026 Cocokind’s Revitalizing Eye Cream is like a refreshing glass of cool water for exhausted eyes, designed to reduce the appearance of bags and shadowy circles by locking in hydration, soothing skin, and helping depuff. — Mariana Best, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2026 The lightweight cream disguises dark circles, redness, blemishes, and uneven tone, melting in seamlessly enough to blend across larger areas in place of foundation. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
Travelling roughly 300 miles (483 kilometers) above Earth's surface at about 17,000 mph (27,000 kph), Hubble circles the planet roughly 15 times per day, which is about one lap every 95 minutes. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026 After an attempt to solve the climate crisis created a worldwide perma-blizzard, what’s left of humanity now circles the globe in a speeding train that’s strictly segregated by economic status. — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 The job search can be a draining process, especially when applications go unanswered, AI hysteria circles the internet, and interviews end with little to no feedback. — Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026 Whenever the calendar comes out, Amanda Mendoza VanCleave circles the dates. — ABC News, 23 July 2026 All of which circles us back around to the reality that our brain sees writing as quietly dangerous. — April Dávila, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026 But the finale sets up a world-changing cliffhanger that circles the plot back to Louis and Armand vying for Lestat’s music box and blood in the premiere. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Tour du Mont Blanc circles the highest mountain in the Alps, spanning France, Switzerland and Italy. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026 The gas giant circles its star at an unexpectedly close distance—about 50 times nearer than the Earth’s orbit around the sun. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circles
Noun
  • To prevent women from contracting HIV from their partners while pregnant, antenatal clinics hope to start offering vaginal rings, which slowly release a protective antiretroviral drug over the course of a month.
    — David Cox, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Even a dust-collector discrete desktop GPU runs rings around it.
    — Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • An orange heel tab is matched with metallic blue loops on the Air Jordan 8’s strap closure, while the model’s signature chenille tongue opts for all-blue with an orange Jumpman.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • On top of the incredible markdown, the real, functional belt loops immediately caught my attention.
    — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Four people with knowledge of the matter, including a diplomatic source, told Reuters that the TPLF had ordered both companies to shut down the networks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The other four networks in the pool, including ABC News, Fox News, CBS News and NBC News, suspended their participation in protest of the ban.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Lithium-ion is typically replaced or augmented every seven to ten years, at 8,000 to 10,000 cycles, and an Aqueous Metal Cell installation is designed to run the full life of the project around it.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The underlying motivation for African policymakers is to untether their economies from commodity cycles and, by extension, the upheavals that come with them.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • By Monday morning, waves began to crash and flood coastal areas.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Separated into two areas, the first is the mellow bar (for pre and post-spa cocktails, mocktails, and detox juices) and four quirky pink manicure pods that look like disjointed train carriages.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • First, a 48-speaker spatial sound system surrounds the audience and delivers a more immersive listening experience.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Pritzker deserves credit for speaking candidly about the treatment that has worked for him and helping confront the stigma that still surrounds obesity and its treatment.
    — Disha Narang, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Cancri e is a super-Earth that orbits its host star every 18 hours, and could be covered by a magma ocean.
    — Alix Freckelton, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The new definition of a planet, according to Nat Geo, is an object that orbits the Sun, is large enough to have become round (due to the force of its own gravity) and dominates the neighborhood around its orbit.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Police said the rounds appeared to be the same color and caliber as the casings found at the shooting scene.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Gibbs fired at least eight rounds into the car, striking the driver four times and the front passenger in the cheek, the DA’s Office said.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Circles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circles. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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