girdles 1 of 2

noun

plural of girdle
as in belts
a strip of flexible material (as leather) worn around the waist drew a handkerchief from the girdle around her waist and offered it to the knight as a token of affection

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girdles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of girdle
1
as in wraps
to encircle or bind with or as if with a belt trees girdled the campus, essentially hiding it from view wire girdling the bundle of firewood

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circles
to travel completely around an asteroid belt that girdles the inner planets of the solar system

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3
as in surrounds
to form a circle around the rings that famously girdle the planet Saturn

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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 girdles
Noun
The trove of women’s bloomers, drawers, knickers, brassieres, corsets, and girdles is just a small part of the school’s historic clothing collection, with images shared by the University of Wyoming Libraries via JSTOR. — April White, JSTOR Daily, 2 Sep. 2026 Few actresses at the time said no to wearing girdles, says Haspiel. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for girdles
  1. belts
  2. wraps
  3. circles
  4. surrounds
  5. sashes
  6. orbits
  7. rings
  8. ribbons
Noun
  • Palace wall paintings, floral motifs and intricate carvings are used in modern forms for silver and champagne gold anchor statement earrings, layered necklaces, cuffs, rings, brooches and belts.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Rulebook Is Behind The Technology Seat belts did not become standard because manufacturers volunteered.
    — Alan Rencher, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of belts
Verb
  • Extending the golf course to the water’s edge probably would have to be coordinated with the reconstruction of the long-deteriorating sea wall that wraps around the peninsula.
    — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The shoes feature a wide slingback strap that wraps around the back of the foot, while a dainty bow is perched right at the vamp.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of wraps
Verb
  • Separately in the episode, River (Jack Lowden) and Sid (Olivia Cooke) are on the run from a pair of assassins, while the rest of the team circles the wagons en route to a safe house.
    — Lisa de los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Travelling roughly 300 miles (483 kilometers) above Earth's surface at about 17,000 mph (27,000 kph), Hubble circles the planet roughly 15 times per day, which is about one lap every 95 minutes.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of circles
Verb
  • Water also nearly surrounds, but does not enter, the former Easton grade school.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Much of the discourse surrounds Kazan’s creative choice in how to portray the book’s infamous antagonist, Cathy Ames, in Netflix’s seven-episode limited series out Thursday.
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrounds
Noun
  • Tie Loose Strings Tie sashes and strings to prevent tangling.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The moisture turns the glass hazy and may rot wood window sashes over time.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sashes
Verb
  • Cancri e is a super-Earth that orbits its host star every 18 hours, and could be covered by a magma ocean.
    — Alix Freckelton, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The new definition of a planet, according to Nat Geo, is an object that orbits the Sun, is large enough to have become round (due to the force of its own gravity) and dominates the neighborhood around its orbit.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of orbits
Verb
  • Much like a tuning fork, the resonator also rings when struck.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Well, that promise now rings hollow in the ears of every TSA worker today.
    — Hydrick Thomas, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rings
Noun
  • The two-piece look, inspired by a design from the fall 2017 ready-to-wear collection, featured an extra-cropped, long-sleeve top with dramatic cuffs and fabric ribbons.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Several fraternities and sororities have mourned the loss of the students and have placed black ribbons outside their on-campus homes, WMC reported.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of ribbons

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Cite this Entry

“Girdles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/girdles. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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