1
as in destinies
a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand
the condemned murderer seemed indifferent to his circumstance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in things
something that happens
due to unexpected circumstances, the test will be postponed
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in luck
the uncertain course of events
I was a victim of circumstance, for nothing that I could have done would have made a difference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circumstances
Both political insurgents were elected under extraordinary circumstances.
—
Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The investigation is in its early stages, and detectives are working to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and identify a potential suspect, Taylor said.
—Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Mourinho is now the man being tipped for a Bernabeu return 13 years on, in arguably even more challenging circumstances.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The series having three games in four nights has been taxing on both teams, but neither is dwelling on their circumstances compared to Boston and Ottawa’s six days off between games.
—Staff Report, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
Grandfamilies, as these families sometimes call themselves, are almost always forged by tragic circumstances, whether abuse, neglect, addiction, arrest, or death.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Martin said the Vatican had been clear that the Vatican's 2023 declaration limited blessing of same-sex couples only under certain circumstances.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
Martin said the Vatican had been clear that the Vatican’s 2023 declaration limited blessing of same-sex couples only under certain circumstances.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Under those circumstances, the WNBA outgrew an arena and a women’s basketball market that once helped to save the league.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The investigation is in its early stages, and detectives are working to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and identify a potential suspect, Taylor said.
—Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Mourinho is now the man being tipped for a Bernabeu return 13 years on, in arguably even more challenging circumstances.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The series having three games in four nights has been taxing on both teams, but neither is dwelling on their circumstances compared to Boston and Ottawa’s six days off between games.
—Staff Report, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
Grandfamilies, as these families sometimes call themselves, are almost always forged by tragic circumstances, whether abuse, neglect, addiction, arrest, or death.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Martin said the Vatican had been clear that the Vatican's 2023 declaration limited blessing of same-sex couples only under certain circumstances.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
Martin said the Vatican had been clear that the Vatican’s 2023 declaration limited blessing of same-sex couples only under certain circumstances.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Under those circumstances, the WNBA outgrew an arena and a women’s basketball market that once helped to save the league.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumstances
Noun
-
And for all of that time, our destinies as Nations have been interlinked.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And for all of that time, our destinies as Nations have been interlinked.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the Moon moves through your 2nd House of Finances, clear terms help prevent confusion and keep things fair.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Rodriguez is happy to see things coming together as conference play gets into full swing.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This was another fates-or-hobgoblins turn of events, but many Americans took that profound luck as their rightful due.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
In a heartbreaking 2-1 loss, the Lightning outplayed the Canadiens in every way except puck luck.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
But the prevailing auditory sense that stands out in memory is an uncanny calmness, met by a student trapped inside, alive and aware, who cut through the stillness to comfort his peers while their fates remained sealed between earth and steel.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
-
Presumably, the fates were not kind to Pete Best.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
During the all-day hearing Friday, the owners of both companies took the stand to give their often starkly different views of events.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Most days at Bluebird will feature free live music and other entertainment events.—
Michael Deeds
Updated May 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Spurs need points and Richarlison is the No 9 who will likely be on the end of most of their chances.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
That does increase the chances of an injury, something the Bulldogs had to deal with yet again this spring.—
Connor Riley,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The incidents come less than two weeks after Oakland police shot and killed a man whom investigators say was pointing a gun at people in East Oakland.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
In these incidents, people in vehicles suddenly take over an intersection and perform dangerous maneuvers, set off fireworks and create chaos.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Legal experts warn the measure could have far-reaching consequences for the state’s civil court system, hitting not just attorney pocketbooks but denting courtroom access for people who are injured in accidents and don’t have the money to pay a lawyer up front.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2026
-
The vessels will also gather weather and environmental data that could support emergency response planning during storms or maritime accidents.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumstances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumstances. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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