circling 1 of 2

adjective

as in swirling

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circling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of circle
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
2
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
These are the questions circling in the aftermath of Tuesday’s bloodbath. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026 The Hollywood Reporter first reported in October 2025 that Driver was circling the project. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026 Wall Street is on track to open higher, but certain technology stocks are under pressure, with the sellers circling Elon Musk's companies. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026 Doom engulfs the movie much like the water circling the stunning coastline. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026 In this explanation, Siwarha orbits deep within Betelgeuse's outer chromosphere, a layer of its atmosphere, circling about every six years. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026 Investigators also obtained surveillance video showing Martin’s car circling a blue USPS collection box several times. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2026 Jordyn Woods appeared in two complimentary pieces for the event, wearing a cropped jacket endowed with dramatic burgundy feathers along with a pair of Woods by Jordyn stunt sandals with matching feathers circling the thick ankle strap. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2026 Connor Storrie is circling a role opposite Ryan Gosling in Marvel Studios‘ Ghost Rider, sources have confirmed to Deadline. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
  1. swirling
  2. surrounding
  3. orbiting
  4. spiral
  5. encircling
  6. traversing
  7. spiraling
  8. crossing
Adjective
  • Ben’s view Hoffman, who sometimes works from a small swivel chair in her children’s room, has followed a path from social video into the center of the swirling news cycles of true crime and celebrity.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Uncover and continue to cook, stirring or swirling pot occasionally, until caramel turns a deep golden brown, 10–12 minutes.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of swirling
Verb
  • The core plasma must stay searingly hot for atomic nuclei to fuse, but the surrounding chamber walls must stay cool enough to avoid structural failure.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Mike Katinsky, an ACLU volunteer election monitor, said the attention surrounding Fulton County's election operations may have contributed to efforts to maintain transparency.
    — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • The trio currently share the orbiting lab with four other people — Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and cosmonauts Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov and Sergey Teteryatnikov.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • What has been hard to miss is the way pharmaceutical companies have been orbiting around the redefinition of Alzheimer’s.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Adjective
  • Rubbery flagelliform silk reinforces the capture spiral to absorb shock.
    — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Could the spiral flow from machine to man, from man to machine, and back again?
    — Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • The encircling coils generate the magnetic field needed to confine the plasma, while the smaller shaping magnets fine-tune its configuration.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • Feast on fresh fruits, pastries, cold cuts, omelettes, and traditional foul mudammas while traversing the ancient waterway.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The rest of the bill features a wide-ranging list of artists traversing country, rock, hip-hop, electronic and more.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of traversing
Adjective
  • Libfeld brought a massive, spiraling kudu horn to practice with at a recent Torat Emet shofar class.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Aside from a spiraling Wanda, there was also an onslaught of high-profile cameos, which almost felt like fandom wish fulfillment designed to keep us entertained when Wanda wasn’t around.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of spiraling
Verb
  • This is immediately clear upon crossing the threshold, when the atmosphere takes on a futuristic tone, as a corridor of Ando’s signature industrial concrete and light wood lattices carries visitors deep inside the building.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Her intentions were made clear in exchanges on social media with Bowden, who harshly criticized Honeycutt for crossing party lines, particularly for talking with Ocasio-Cortez.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of crossing

Browse Nearby Words

circlets
circling
circuit
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Cite this Entry

“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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