1
as in wrapping
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circling
to travel completely around
an asteroid belt that girdles the inner planets of the solar system
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in surrounding
to form a circle around
the rings that famously girdle the planet Saturn
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of girdling
Removing this layer restricts the tree from moving water up from the roots or nutrients back down, a process known as girdling.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for girdling
Verb
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Scandal ran for seven seasons, wrapping in April 2018.—
Starr Rocque,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Cut to a massive stadium packed with fans, and Pepsi logos, and a hilarious re-creation of the Coldplay kiss-cam fiasco as the male bear hugs his pop paramour from behind, wrapping his arms around her as the both hold cans.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Stellarators use magnets with complicated shapes circling the outside of the system’s vacuum vessel to create all the magnetic fields needed to confine the fusion plasma.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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This comes as reports are circling on social media that women’s bodies are going missing and cannot be found.—
Sarah Baniak,
ABC News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Members must live or attend school in central San Diego or the surrounding area.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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The victim has not yet been identified and detectives did not share details on the circumstances surrounding the man's death.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Over the coming years, a team of 57 scientists and local guides explored all the major rivers and tributaries of the Okavango Delta, traversing this vast landscape in dugout canoes, on motorbikes, on foot, and in armored vehicles.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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What consumers need is someone and something focused on the actual experience of traversing the fractured content universe.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The rehaut features deep-blue Tambour markings and modern numerals on a crisp white background, encircling a 24-hour GMT scale at a lower level.—
Thor Svaboe,
Robb Report,
2 Feb. 2026
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America’s most powerful military assets have now convened in the Middle East, encircling Iran and preparing to strike it from land, air, and sea.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Launched in 2011 and orbiting Jupiter since 2016, Juno was given an extended mission in 2021 that placed it on a new trajectory.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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However, the new measurements, courtesy of NASA's Juno spacecraft that is currently orbiting Jupiter, shaves about five miles (8 km) off the equator and about 15 miles (24 km) off at the poles.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girdling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/girdling. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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