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as in to define
to mark the limits of Lake Michigan circumscribes the city of Chicago on the east

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word circumscribe different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of circumscribe are confine, limit, and restrict. While all these words mean "to set bounds for," circumscribe stresses a restriction on all sides and by clearly defined boundaries.

the work of the investigating committee was carefully circumscribed

When can confine be used instead of circumscribe?

Although the words confine and circumscribe have much in common, confine suggests severe restraint and a resulting cramping, fettering, or hampering.

our choices were confined by finances

When is limit a more appropriate choice than circumscribe?

While in some cases nearly identical to circumscribe, limit implies setting a point or line (as in time, space, speed, or degree) beyond which something cannot or is not permitted to go.

visits are limited to 30 minutes

When might restrict be a better fit than circumscribe?

The words restrict and circumscribe can be used in similar contexts, but restrict suggests a narrowing or tightening or restraining within or as if within an encircling boundary.

laws intended to restrict the freedom of the press

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 circumscribe Theo is born at an inopportune time for Jews, whose rights are increasingly circumscribed in the country. Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025 Like Stonehenge, Avebury’s three circles are circumscribed by a circular henge and were constructed gradually, over the course of many centuries. Hannah Edgar, ARTnews.com, 26 Feb. 2025 Historically, at the strictest cram schools, social interactions were carefully circumscribed. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 The Kremlin would like to circumscribe Iran’s aspiration for regional hegemony without souring relations with the country, which remains its biggest regional ally. Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 6 Oct. 2017 See All Example Sentences for circumscribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscribe
Verb
  • The new executive order builds on that policy by not limiting it to certain drugs under Medicare but also including Medicaid and private sector insurance available on the commercial marker, said White House spokesman Kush Desai.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • This iconic small-form-factor system challenges much larger towers, proving size doesn't limit power.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • The city is also the cradle of Puerto Rican salsa, the birthplace of the late ‘60s and ‘70s Latin music revolution defined by legends such as the Fania All Stars.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 20 May 2025
  • Sentenced as a young adult to 60 years behind bars, Maurice’s story could have ended there, defined forever by one devastating moment.
    Elizabeth Hinton, Hartford Courant, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Earlier this year President Trump signed an executive order which seeks to restrict this right, which was established by the 14th Amendment in 1868.
    Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • However, as noted earlier, the agency hasn’t disclaimed that power, and Congress hasn’t acted to restrict it.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • No longer confined to the pursuit of profit alone, these powerful forces are being reimagined as instruments of global healing, capable of restoring trust, dignity and interconnectedness across all sectors.
    Yujia Zhu, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
  • Dempsey was sent to live with a distant city counselor and grew up to work in data entry, confined to her apartment computer.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Circumscribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscribe. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on circumscribe

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