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
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 Thousands of pieces of junk are circling Earth at incredible speeds. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 And the idea of circling the behavior of a group of people in a room. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 In 2001, Michelle remembers hiding under her desk and hearing helicopters circling over her school. — Taylor Galgano, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 After roughly two hours, drones began circling overhead and Israeli security forces arrived and declared the area a closed military zone. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026 Harris, a journalist who previously wrote books on the video game and tech industries, spent months circling his dream subject, talking to his closest friends and collaborators, before he would finally be introduced to David via email. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026 Eaton bought a solid-state transformer company outright; giants such as Schneider Electric, Delta Electronics and Hitachi Energy are all circling. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Imagine Entertainment, was also circling Kraus’ scientifically accurate book. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 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
  • Turn the volume up and that pinhole dilates, revealing swirling galaxies of vocal harmonies, upright bass plucks, and cascading piano runs.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The heaviness comes from the fact that the artist died in April, at age forty-six, but it’s also embedded in the paintings on view—in the bursts of fire and swirling floods that mark them.
    — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of swirling
Verb
  • The surrounding business and residential areas temporarily lost power.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Much like the brand, which leans toward natural fibers and emphasizes sustainability, the focus here is on the surrounding sea and forest.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • Most Earth-orbiting satellites draw electricity from solar panels, with batteries supplying power during periods without sunlight.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Musk has said SpaceX’s future success hinges on its Starship rocket, slated to carry astronauts to the moon and launch hundreds of thousands of communications satellites and orbiting data centers to power its AI ambitions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Adjective
  • The continuously rising spiral roof integrates diverse functions such as dining spaces, exhibition spaces, education centers, and the theater into a cohesive whole.
    — Wendy Wang, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026
  • People whose lives spiral when social media enters the picture might need to abstain, although doctors are finding that for behavioral addictions abstinence might not be feasible (screens are everywhere).
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • 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
  • Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • That certainly is the case traversing from the old 13th District to the new one.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Then getting that energy to major cities means traversing some of the most pristine, spectacular natural corridors this nation has left, and particularly in the Southwest, rubbing up against the sacred lands of local tribal communities.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 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
  • Scientists in Germany have observed electrons crossing an energy gap in graphene with a probability of up to 100%, revealing how intense electric fields can drive quantum transitions in real time.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Children crossing streets to walk to school or the bus stop may be exposed to greater risk.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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