Thesaurus results for ORBITING

orbiting

verb

present participle of orbit

as in circling

to travel completely around the moon orbits the Earth

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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 orbiting Transits favor planets orbiting close to their stars, particularly large planets that block more starlight and complete their orbits frequently. — Thomas Fauchez, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026 The two orbiting observatories collectively discovered 27 new Trans-Neptunian Objects, or TNOs, all less than 25 miles (40 kilometers) across, with the smallest being only 6 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2026 The early days of our solar system were chaotic, marked by violent interactions as a multitude of space rocks orbiting the sun crashed into other objects. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 Happily—if that’s the right word to use—there are probably no planets orbiting S301. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026 In 2001, Canadarm2 was attached to the International Space Station and used to help build the orbiting laboratory. — Joanna Goodrich, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026 This experimental, eclipse-creating coronagraph will allow Roman to directly image any planet, however faint, that might be orbiting the masked star. — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbiting

Verb

Ohtani returned to the lineup Monday and felt something in his arm after a swing, circling his right arm afterward.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, Sasha and Morgan have been circling something neither of them has been able to admit to.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of circling

Verb

The production’s adventurousness, traversing every corner of Brad Bentz’s scenic design, can have a diffuse effect.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
People were part of Pleistocene history, adapting to the colder climates in the north and traversing the unglaciated regions to the south of the glacial margins.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of traversing

Verb

Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
There are no bleachers, so spectators set up lawn chairs encircling the field.

— Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of encircling

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orbited

orbiting

orbits

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“Orbiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbiting. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of orbiting

verb

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