1
as in surrounding
to form a circle around
everyone circled the lectern and waited their turn to read from the Bible
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in orbiting
to travel completely around
with a look of extreme frustration, the commander circled the new recruit
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in swirling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of circling
Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Sewell's been absolute granite at tackle, and now he's got Micah circling the matchups on his calendar.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
And the under-estimator’s story is no longer the only story circling in your head.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
For nearly 20 years, astronomers have been perplexed by the strange disk of dust and debris circling Fomalhaut, a bright star just 25 light-years from Earth.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
Leading up to the show, Vevers recalls questions circling in the industry, such as what the expansion into ready-to-wear meant for the company, or if the debut was simply a marketing project.
—Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
Its rivals, meanwhile, are circling its customers, and one is preparing for the possibility the budget travel icon shuts down altogether.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Stein & Lipovksy are circling a handful of high-profile projects, so add The Earthling to the pile.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Royal Oak parking meters will be closed during the festival to avoid traffic and circling cars looking for spots.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Less than 12 seconds later, the vehicle was off the runway, but the plane had already started circling the airport.
—Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Sewell's been absolute granite at tackle, and now he's got Micah circling the matchups on his calendar.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
And the under-estimator’s story is no longer the only story circling in your head.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
For nearly 20 years, astronomers have been perplexed by the strange disk of dust and debris circling Fomalhaut, a bright star just 25 light-years from Earth.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
Leading up to the show, Vevers recalls questions circling in the industry, such as what the expansion into ready-to-wear meant for the company, or if the debut was simply a marketing project.
—Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
Its rivals, meanwhile, are circling its customers, and one is preparing for the possibility the budget travel icon shuts down altogether.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Stein & Lipovksy are circling a handful of high-profile projects, so add The Earthling to the pile.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Royal Oak parking meters will be closed during the festival to avoid traffic and circling cars looking for spots.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
Verb
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Additionally, Florida's Miccosukee Tribe claimed the facility impacted its access to the surrounding area and posed risks to the tribe's food and water supply.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Parts of it would be carved up and grafted onto surrounding Democratic-leaning districts, and a significant portion would be added to a new Latino-majority seat in central Los Angeles County, basically leaving Calvert with a viable district from which to seek reelection.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Just the same, the Chiefs still have some stuff going for them that no one else in the NFL does — all orbiting around the mind-meld between one of the greatest offensive minds in league history and one of its most special talents.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sensitive and gentle, and then pained and rageful, his transformation into a swirling vortex of destruction is captivating to watch and deserves all the plaudits.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
-
However, beneath the surface lies a hidden world of swirling currents, where grains sneak sideways or loop in circles instead of following the obvious flow.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
No other spacecraft has probed beneath the clouds encircling Jupiter the way that Juno has, or has imaged our Solar System’s largest planet so comprehensively and over such extended periods of time.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
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Nonetheless, its economy has largely adapted to Western sanctions, and Russian forces are advancing in the Donbas, now encircling the city of Pokrovsk and steadily advancing toward Kostyantynivka.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That same sense of gravity is felt by golfers traversing the dynamic dunes.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Sure, there were attacks and counterattacks and waves of soldiers traversing across No Man’s Land.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Cut dough spiral into 12 equal pieces.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
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At an alumni game at Brigham Young University, Young, on the field with much younger men, can’t resist the chance to test his spiral one last time.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Photographer Osama Fathi has captured a stunning view of Perseid meteors crossing the bright ribbon of the Milky Way over the ruins of an ancient settlement in Egypt dedicated to the worship of the crocodile god Soknopaios.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Only about 12 blocks separate the two, both located on North Avenue, with Thirst Books on the Milwaukee side and The Well Red Damsel crossing into Wauwatosa.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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