as in swirling
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circling
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
Fashion and technology spent years circling each other cautiously.
—Partner Content, Variety, 10 June 2026
Verb
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
Fashion and technology spent years circling each other cautiously.
—Partner Content, Variety, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
Adjective
-
Hyo Joo Kim and Hye-Jin Choi handled a swirling wind Saturday and made enough birdies to be among only six teams who broke par, posting a 1-under 69 in foursomes to build a one-shot lead in the Dow Championship.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
-
Elevate your home office with a swirling burl wood desk.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
Verb
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However, Suzanne Taheri, an attorney representing Greeley Demands Better, said the Telluride case differs from the circumstances surrounding Cascadia.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Police said the investigation remains active, and officers are continuing to gather information regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.—
Alexandra Koch , Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
-
In 1981, astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen landed the Space Shuttle Columbia on that same dry lake bed, making history as the first orbiting space vehicle to leave Earth using rocket power and come back on an aircraft's wings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
While most are deflected, some particles spiral along magnetic field lines toward the poles, colliding with oxygen and nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Each episode centers around a new ‘book of the week,’ ranging from science fiction epics and romantasy sensations, to literary classics and underground cult favorites, before the conversations spiral far beyond the page.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Styled by Brad Goreski, Moore wore a custom cobalt blue Self Portrait gown with an oversized bow encircling the hips, falling into a train.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
-
Bad weather postponed a major construction project on Atlanta's primary highway encircling the city last weekend, but now the traffic chaos is here.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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For him, the perfect Sunday involves traversing the city, checking out record stores and visiting museums like the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Carrasco originally planned to travel to the United States independently and then bring the rest of the family, but Aponte insisted the family face the journey, which included traversing several countries and jungles, together.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The basic idea is that when anxiety spikes, pulling out a few sensory-engaging items can stave off panic by interrupting spiraling thoughts.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Still annoyed, weirdly offended, and slightly spiraling.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The vote was 198-218, with 19 Republicans crossing the aisle to vote against it and seven Democrats voting for it.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
Catalina is the closest offshore island vacation west of the Mississippi, reachable in about 70 minutes from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point on the smooth, fast-crossing ferries of Catalina Express.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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