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
  • In addition, Simm is working with two craftsman who are creating belts and knives that will be featured on the site and made-to-order.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But its dusky cloud belts and Red Spot can be seen more clearly when the planet is highest in the southeast soon after dawn breaks.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of belts
Verb
  • So, while all the other men in the crew stand around doing nothing, Moe steps in to tell the guy to leave — once calmly, then more aggressively — and then takes off his belt and wraps it around his hand.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Concourse’s slate also includes Parish starring Nicolas Cage, Dane Dehaan and Alexandra Shipp, which wraps production this week in Minnesota, and Vision Board starring Lucy Hale, which is currently in pre-production.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of wraps
Verb
  • The camera swoops over the course while Brady is at the top of his ladder and then circles its lens back after passing.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Cassiopeia circles Polaris as Earth rotates, so its orientation changes through the night.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of circles
Verb
  • This year’s ceremony will also take place as political drama surrounds the institution, which has historically avoided partisan issues.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The yard in south Atlanta surrounds a home owned by Renee Davis.
    — Rashad Williams, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of surrounds
Noun
  • Drafts, foggy glass, sticking sashes and rising energy bills can all signal that your windows need attention.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Tie Loose Strings Tie sashes and strings to prevent tangling.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sashes
Verb
  • The moon is small, about 168 miles long, and orbits about 112,468 miles (181,000 km) from Jupiter (much closer to the planet than the Earth and its moon).
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Sun’s piece mostly orbits a monochrome palette of heavy, inky black shading (with white outlines) and a lot of line detail, with broad, impressionistic brushstrokes characterizing the landscape — at least some of the time.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of orbits
Verb
  • While this sentiment rings true, there is a significant amount of precedent to suggest that not all tax hikes are created equal in the eyes of California voters.
    — Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Much like a tuning fork, the resonator also rings when struck.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of rings
Noun
  • Knitwear is a key category, spanning grandpa-chic cardigans with jacquard florals, shrunken styles trimmed with ribbons, chunky crewneck sweaters with mandala embroidery and belted cardigans finished with jewel-like studs.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • However, as with Amal’s deep brunette hair with ribbons of face-framing light brown highlights, there’s something dynamic and exciting about her unexpected combination.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Nov. 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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