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
The stark highlights begin a few inches from her hairline at her roots, before circling around both sides of her head to meet at the back. — Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2026 The finding fits theories that planets and other bodies in the solar system were built in waves as a mixture of fine dust, ice, organic matter and specks of stardust circling the newborn sun clumped together into ever larger objects. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 12 Nov. 2026 There are other names circling the project that could lead to even bigger appearances, but don't expect to learn much about them before the movie's marketing kicks off. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 12 Nov. 2026 And when your suitcase is circling the baggage carousel among a sea of lookalikes, a fun, personal detail is hardly a bad thing. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026 In the last year, two clubs have changed hands, and other prospective investors are circling. — Jesse Silvertown, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2026 There was early buzz of James Mangold circling a Swamp Thing movie, and Andy Muscietti penning a version of Batman Brave and the Bold. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2026 Steep river banks, bluff edges, drainage ditches, and other terrain features can serve as blockers that keep deer from circling completely downwind of you. — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 9 Nov. 2026 These are the questions circling in the aftermath of Tuesday’s bloodbath. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 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
  • When a single cell in a repeating lattice cracks or punctures, the surrounding identical cells immediately follow suit, causing a chain-reaction collapse.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Following Masias’ detainment, immigration agents who milled about the parking were nonresponsive to the protesters, who shouted at them through the locked fence surrounding the Moss building as Sacramento Fire Department personnel treated Masias.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • This time, the pair claimed to have heard labored breathing coming across the airwaves, and even what resembled the strained moans of a person aboard an orbiting spacecraft.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Printing replacement parts for the printer itself was an ideal way to prove the value of an orbiting machine shop.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Adjective
  • All four spiral slides are open to the public and allow four people to ride simultaneously from various entrances such as the family-style restaurants, the Google offices, the Rosewood Hotel, and the Arte Abierto Art Space.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But when their increasingly dangerous scheme becomes a plan to escape their troubled families, the stakes spiral beyond their control.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 5 Nov. 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
  • And traversing the aerial pathway above the roadway is kind of fun.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Currently, crossing over Lydia Avenue involves traversing multiple active train tracks at the same level as the street with no sidewalks.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 10 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 video is a good counter to the one of the black bear crossing the road in a busy South Florida neighborhood, too.
    — Austin Perry, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The tornado continued east toward Hillsdale, Kansas, and strengthened to an EF-2 after crossing Hospital Road.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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