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
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Recent Examples of circling
Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
On Day 8, Vengrinovich noticed a helicopter circling along the peak of the mountain about 4,000 meters up.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The symptoms of the disease can vary, from disorientation and circling to paralysis across the animal’s back end, the inability to stand up and potentially death.
—Jessie Richards, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
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
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
Stein & Lipovksy are circling a handful of high-profile projects, so add The Earthling to the pile.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Fans eagerly flipped through its pages, circling premiere dates and planning their weekly schedules around prime-time lineups.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
On Day 8, Vengrinovich noticed a helicopter circling along the peak of the mountain about 4,000 meters up.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The symptoms of the disease can vary, from disorientation and circling to paralysis across the animal’s back end, the inability to stand up and potentially death.
—Jessie Richards, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
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
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
Stein & Lipovksy are circling a handful of high-profile projects, so add The Earthling to the pile.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
Verb
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Despite questions surrounding his confirmation, Hegseth secured support in January from all but three Republicans to become Defense secretary with a 51-50 vote as Vice President JD Vance broke the tie.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Assembled over three years, Bolaño’s rubric was simple, surrounding herself with pieces that inspired creativity.—
Keith Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An unforeseen contribution from Juno Juno, meanwhile, has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, collecting information on the giant planet's internal structure, magnetic field, and atmosphere.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Case For Planet Y Simulations show that a world with a mass between Mercury and Earth, orbiting between 100 and 200 AU from the sun and tilted at least 10 degrees, could nudge the Kuiper Belt's plane into a tilt.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Others are greedily consuming matter that surrounds them in a flattened, swirling cloud called an accretion disk.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The massive house spans three stories, including a reception room, bedroom, bathroom, a roof terrace—and, most impressively, a swirling waterslide that shoots out the side of the building, winding around a palm tree.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Place in springform pan, spiral side up, and repeat until pan is filled.—
Bethany Thayer,
Freep.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Employers look for people who can set priorities and stay on top of deadlines without letting costs spiral out of control.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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However, doing so is not straightforward, with AI crossing many technology and security domains from data governance to identity and access management.—
Josh Lemos,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Muscles crossing multiple joints such as the hamstrings appear especially vulnerable to variations in playing surfaces, given their central role in sprinting and cutting.—
Michael Hales,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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