Thesaurus results for ORBITS

orbits 1 of 2

noun

plural of orbit

as in loops

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orbits

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of orbit

as in circles

to travel completely around the moon orbits the Earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 orbits

Noun

The kick stage will be able to take big payloads from LEO to higher-energy orbits — for example, up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kg) to geostationary orbit, a popular hangout for spy, communications and weather satellites that lies 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 June 2026 Canadian and American researchers simulated satellite orbits in low Earth orbit and generated a metric, the CRASH Clock, that measures the number of days before collisions start happening if collision-avoidance maneuvers stop. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026 The plan represents a departure for Europe’s top satellite makers, which have traditionally focused on large, complex spacecraft in high orbits, but the industry has been disrupted by Starlink’s small, relatively cheap, low-orbit machines. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Verb

Astronomers have witnessed a small, icy body that orbits the sun out beyond Jupiter transforming into a comet, providing a missing link between comets and inert bodies called centaurs. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 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 The Perseids, like all meteors, are offshoots from comets, specifically the Swift-Tuttle Comet which orbits the Sun every 133 years. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The parent comet of the Perseids — the comet that sheds particles resulting in the meteor shower — is 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun about every 133 years. — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn't scheduled for a return visit until 2125. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn’t scheduled for a return visit until 2125. — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 Worlds with no sun Every planet in our Solar System orbits the sun, but not all planets are so fortunate. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which already orbits the moon, should provide before and after photos of the wreckage site in the next few weeks. — Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbits

Noun

Johnson frequently uses his saxophone to control a sampler or drum machine, triggering changes in loops and effects, but the technology is ultimately subordinate to physical expression.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 9 Sep. 2026
Often rapping over drumless loops, Elsesser took inspiration from Yasiin Bey and the late Ka, the Brownsville MC and producer who spent his days as an FDNY captain and nights as a pillar of hip-hop’s avant-garde.

— Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of loops

Verb

Our nearest planetary neighbor circles the sun in an almost perfect path, completing 13 orbits in 8 Earth years.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
The job search can be a draining process, especially when applications go unanswered, AI hysteria circles the internet, and interviews end with little to no feedback.

— Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Definition of circles

Noun

If either of those circuits sides with the Tax Court’s functional test, a formal circuit split will emerge, creating the classic recipe for Supreme Court review.

— Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Then, looking at the amp rating of your circuits (most laundry appliances require a 15–30 amp circuit).

— Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025

Definition of circuits

Verb

This fourth full-length from the London jazz quintet traverses Black diasporic sound traditions — grime, reggae, Afrobeat — mulling over the question of how music so joyous can be rooted in histories of pain.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Reliever optimizes availability After taking his head out of the cold tub, Blubaugh traverses the bowels of Daikin Park.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of traverses

Noun

According to Kaiyuan Securities, Huawei reduced source power density through folding and positioned the most heat-intensive modules along paths where heat can escape more easily.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
DeLauter has been crafty on the base paths, recording 10 steals on 12 attempts.

— Data Skrive, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of paths

Verb

Norway’s new King Haakon VIII will be hoping that sentiment rings true following the death of his father, King Harald who died Friday after 35 years on the throne, marking the latest blow for a family reeling from scandal.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
There are various reasons that rings true for professionals looking to become leaders.

— Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rings

Noun

The open-source dataset contains 11,430 real-world trajectories collected across 14 industrial and household tasks.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Most are on elliptical trajectories, dipping closer in and then sweeping farther out over their orbits.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of trajectories

Noun

Owen Coyle has been given the title of player pathways manager and oversees the progress of the numerous players Forest have out on loan, including Tyler Bindon at Charlton and Zach Abbott, who joined Southampton.

— Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
In a review, the researchers compared six fuel cycle pathways, with wide complexities, but mapped them easily using the Tube map design, a first for the field.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of pathways

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“Orbits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbits. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of orbits

noun

verb

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