CIRCLING Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

circling 1 of 2

adjective

as in swirling

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Dissimilar Words

circling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of circle

as in surrounding

to form a circle around everyone circled the lectern and waited their turn to read from the Bible

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in orbiting

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 circling

Verb

That churning mix of confidence and doubt gives Sir Render a full-bodied dynamism that Navy Blue albums can sometimes lack, moving between moods instead of circling around a single frame of mind. —

Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026 Symptoms of prolonged deficiency include ventroflexion of the neck (bending the head toward the floor); mental dullness (confusion, lethargy, non-responsiveness, failing to interact, low energy); vision changes; wobbly walking, circling, or falling; seizures; and weakness and lethargy. —

Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 10 June 2026 Now, rumors are circling that the gallery is eyeing a smaller space on Grafton Street, near Zwirner and Sprüth Magers. —

Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026 While Constance never shows for the reading, her presence is still felt, often hovering or circling around the table with movements designed to interpret the tone of the reading. —

Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 Fashion and technology spent years circling each other cautiously. —

Partner Content, Variety, 10 June 2026 Wobbly walking, circling or falling. —

Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 June 2026 The pilot and co-pilot were circling back to attempt an emergency landing just after takeoff from La Romana International Airport on the island nation’s southern coast, the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation said. —

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026 Decades after Julian’s vanishing there, the band and various hangers-on recall eerie incidents both in and out of the house—rooms full of occult literature; pub full of haunting photographs—as well as the glimmering stranger circling the Orpheus-esque Julian. —

Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling

Adjective

Still, even these black holes have gravitational influences that can impact more than the swirling platters of gas and dust — that influence can also affect the motion of stars orbiting the black holes.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 June 2026
Scenes of furious sketching, intricate designs of delicate cutouts and swirling shapes and fabrics, pinning, sewing and the bustle of runway shows alternate with fretting about how to pay the rent.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 June 2026