as in swirling
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Dissimilar Words
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
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Recent Examples of circling
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
21 June 2026
Other wearable tech companies have been circling this space.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Soon the sky would grow thick with circling helicopters and would stay that way for more than a week, the cutting of their rotor blades ominous and heartbreaking.
—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Jackson's victory ends one of the most contentious Republican primary battles Georgia has seen in years, a race that produced two lawsuits, a defamation claim, and a mobile billboard circling metro Atlanta.
—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
The track transitions into what immediately reminded me of a Taylor-Swiftesque bridge (rather tragic, all things considered) before circling back to the recurring theme.
—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
An athletic trainer followed him, circling back to the mound.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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
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
Verb
Variety has learned that Mubi is pursuing the film, with Neon also possibly circling.
—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
21 June 2026
Other wearable tech companies have been circling this space.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Soon the sky would grow thick with circling helicopters and would stay that way for more than a week, the cutting of their rotor blades ominous and heartbreaking.
—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Jackson's victory ends one of the most contentious Republican primary battles Georgia has seen in years, a race that produced two lawsuits, a defamation claim, and a mobile billboard circling metro Atlanta.
—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
The track transitions into what immediately reminded me of a Taylor-Swiftesque bridge (rather tragic, all things considered) before circling back to the recurring theme.
—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
An athletic trainer followed him, circling back to the mound.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
Adjective
-
However, the situation for gas giants is somewhat more complicated because of their swirling atmospheres.
-
Scrape banana cream mixture on top of cake and spread out until nearly to edges, swooping and swirling decoratively.
Verb
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The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to work closely with the FBI as investigators follow up on leads, review information, and pursue the facts surrounding this case.
-
The trade comes after years of uncertainty surrounding Milwaukee's direction following the departure of championship-winning head coach Mike Budenholzer in 2023 and caps a steady decline that culminated in the Bucks missing the 2026 playoffs.
Verb
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For a generation of millennial founders and the professionals orbiting them, the most consequential business development of the year is happening nowhere near an office, a conference badge, or a LinkedIn message.
-
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been probing for atmospheres around other rocky worlds orbiting red dwarfs, such as those in the TRAPPIST-1 system.
Adjective
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At that time, researchers identified a plasma spiral roughly 1,000 kilometers wide that hovered above the North Pole for nearly eight hours.
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Even so, her spiral downward to near death before ending up in treatment is ridiculously, gloriously brisk.
Verb
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Cheers roared from the crowd encircling the concrete arena as two skateboarders slammed into each other at top speed.
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Styled by Brad Goreski, Moore wore a custom cobalt blue Self Portrait gown with an oversized bow encircling the hips, falling into a train.
Verb
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Known for traversing the comedy club scene throughout the Big Apple, the stand-up artist is taking her talents on the road for the remainder of the year as part of a cross-country tour.
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Every year, about 90% of Central Oregon’s Deschutes River disappears into networks of canals and pipes traversing high desert.
Adjective
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The basic idea is that when anxiety spikes, pulling out a few sensory-engaging items can stave off panic by interrupting spiraling thoughts.
-
Still annoyed, weirdly offended, and slightly spiraling.
Verb
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Prosecutors said the children were then transported to El Paso after crossing the border.
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Hopes have risen that crude supplies will improve markedly with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that’s key for the world’s oil transport, even though the number of ships crossing the strait is still limited.
Cite this Entry
“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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