as in circling
to travel completely around
the moon orbits the Earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of orbiting
As of writing this article, there are about 14,000 satellites orbiting our planet — nearly 10,000 of which belong to SpaceX — and the number is going to increase aggressively as commercial interests in this realm continue to grow.
—
Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Both the European Space Agency (ESA) and China’s Institute of Optoelectronics have reported successful gigabit-speed laser links to high-orbiting satellites.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer-songwriter Jackie West belongs to a loose group of indie rock musicians orbiting New York City and the clutch of upstate towns that have threatened to become an unofficial sixth borough since COVID.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Certain configurations—such as a very large moon orbiting a relatively low-mass planet—should produce timing variations that could be detected in existing data, although nontransiting planets can induce similar signals, complicating the exomoon search.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
The new Artemis program has completed only one flight so far, a lunar-orbiting mission without a crew in 2022.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
The Artemis program has completed only one flight so far, a lunar-orbiting mission without a crew in 2022.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Both the European Space Agency (ESA) and China’s Institute of Optoelectronics have reported successful gigabit-speed laser links to high-orbiting satellites.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer-songwriter Jackie West belongs to a loose group of indie rock musicians orbiting New York City and the clutch of upstate towns that have threatened to become an unofficial sixth borough since COVID.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Certain configurations—such as a very large moon orbiting a relatively low-mass planet—should produce timing variations that could be detected in existing data, although nontransiting planets can induce similar signals, complicating the exomoon search.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
The new Artemis program has completed only one flight so far, a lunar-orbiting mission without a crew in 2022.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
The Artemis program has completed only one flight so far, a lunar-orbiting mission without a crew in 2022.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbiting
Verb
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Consider how satellites reflect sunlight while also circling our planet very quickly.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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Cars circling endlessly around full parking lots and lines of vehicles stretched for miles along the routes to enter the park.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The French carrier had already rerouted three of its services traversing the Suez Canal back around the Cape of Good Hope due to the uncertainty in the region.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
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With commercial truck builds that are bigger than average cars, difficulty halting, and limited maneuvering, these factors can make traversing construction zones riskier for commercial truck drivers.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The sprawling Discover campus features a complex of four buildings encircling a large retention pond.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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In Houston, service will run inside the Loop, a 38-mile (61-kilometer) highway encircling downtown.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Orbiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbiting. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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