1
as in limiting
to set bounds or an upper limit for
circumscribed his enthusiasm so as not to make the losing side feel worse
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defining
to mark the limits of
Lake Michigan circumscribes the city of Chicago on the east
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Recent Examples of circumscribing
In quick succession, the Court began circumscribing Congress’s ability to define rights and act on its constitutional imagination.
—
Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
This wouldn’t be the first time the Court has avoided a head-on fight with the other branches, especially after Congress makes noise about circumscribing its authority.
—Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
This wouldn’t be the first time the Court has avoided a head-on fight with the other branches, especially after Congress makes noise about circumscribing its authority.
—Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscribing
Verb
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Unlike traditional sportsbooks, which typically lock bettors into wagers, prediction market users can trade in and out of positions before events are settled, limiting losses or locking in profits.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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Early childhood advocates in California tend to err on the side of limiting testing as well, Fuller said.—
Makiya Seminera,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Period hairstyles also play a significant role in defining the characters of Elvira and Agnes, aka Cinderella, played by Thea Sofie Loch Naess.—
Simon Thompson,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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And isn’t that about to become the defining ingredient of all future Hall of Fame voting, sooner than later?—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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China retaliated by canceling flights, restricting imports of Japanese seafood and ramping up military patrols, among other measures.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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While the model is available to paid ChatGPT users for everyday development tasks, the company is delaying full API access and restricting high-risk use cases that could enable automation at scale.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumscribing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscribing. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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