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.
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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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Many American farmers rely on fertilizer moving by barge up the Mississippi River ahead of the planting season, limiting their ability to defer purchases.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
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The problem is that all the various strands — the parallel tales — dilute our access to the characters, limiting their dimensions.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The slice in your hand has a city of origin, a specific oven, a defining cheese and usually a stubborn local who will tell you everyone else is doing it wrong.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
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Maika Monroe may have starred in multiple defining horror films of the last 10-plus years, from her breakout in It Follows to the recent box-office smash Longlegs, but no amount of scream-queen credits could prepare her for the gory terror of Victorian Psycho.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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With Singapore restricting the number of expatriates, the UAE has also been a major beneficiary as some international banks relocate part of their operations.—
Vasuki Shastry,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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The National Science Foundation suspended at least 18 research grants to UC Berkeley last month despite a court injunction restricting such suspensions, according to an attorney representing university scientists in a class-action lawsuit.—
Felicia Mello,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumscribing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscribing. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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