as in circles
to travel completely around
the moon orbits the Earth
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Recent Examples of orbits
Brett Tingley, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
In 1995, a gas giant known as 51 Pegasi b, which orbits a star similar to Earth's sun, etched its name in cosmic history as the first exoplanet ever discovered.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
In contrast, our planet Mercury, which is scorchingly hot itself, orbits the sun in just under 88 days.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Looking for telltale signs TRAPPIST-1 e is similar to Earth in size and orbits its star every six days — a much faster rate than Earth orbits the sun.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
The same can be said of the moon, which instead orbits Earth.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Sep. 2025
The gas orbits the central pixel just as the Earth orbits the sun — indicating that mass is packed into a point.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Juno orbits Jupiter once every 33 days, and the trajectory brings the spacecraft through intense radiation belts trapped by the planet's powerful magnetic field.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
As the planet orbits the star, the star also moves — or wobbles in its own orbit — due to the equal-and-opposite gravitational force that the planet exerts on the parent star.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
The moon orbits alongside a number of small satellites that lie inside the orbit of Uranus' largest moons — Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Oberon and Titania (27 of Uranus' 29 moons are named after characters found in Shakespeare plays).
—Brett Tingley, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
The sun orbits all signs of the zodiac in a calendar year.
—Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
In 1995, a gas giant known as 51 Pegasi b, which orbits a star similar to Earth's sun, etched its name in cosmic history as the first exoplanet ever discovered.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
In contrast, our planet Mercury, which is scorchingly hot itself, orbits the sun in just under 88 days.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Looking for telltale signs TRAPPIST-1 e is similar to Earth in size and orbits its star every six days — a much faster rate than Earth orbits the sun.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
The same can be said of the moon, which instead orbits Earth.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Sep. 2025
The gas orbits the central pixel just as the Earth orbits the sun — indicating that mass is packed into a point.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Juno orbits Jupiter once every 33 days, and the trajectory brings the spacecraft through intense radiation belts trapped by the planet's powerful magnetic field.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
As the planet orbits the star, the star also moves — or wobbles in its own orbit — due to the equal-and-opposite gravitational force that the planet exerts on the parent star.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbits
Verb
-
Against a palette of softly glitching synth, Zelda flute, and twittering mechanical birds, the song circles feelings of uncertainty about commitment, sacrifice, and choosing one’s true path.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
1 Oct. 2025
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Over beers and homemade guac, lead guide Joy McCreary circles us up and asks everyone to state the important stuff—name, hometown, and favorite Dead tune—an icebreaker that also gives the band a list to work from.—
John Briley,
Outside,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The fine, curly patterns in the plume are better explained by winds rather than by the missile making loops.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The outside of the bag is decorated with studs and a hook and latch closure, and since it’s connected to a thin belt, it can actually be worn through the belt loops of your pants for extra security.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This 84-mile loop begins and ends in Taos and traverses the high alpine desert of northern New Mexico and several mountain towns, including Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Questa, and Red River.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
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This musical journey traverses seven decades of pop music, from the 1960s to today.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
Verb
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The train that rings Vesuvius makes its rounds as racehorses train along the shore.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
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That certainly rings true for Nomad founder Brad Davis, who sports copious body art and has the vibe of an energetic Portland entrepreneur.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These paths don’t compete so much as coexist.—
Marisa McMillan,
Outside,
7 Oct. 2025
-
While the commercial outlook for AI among business leaders was enthusiastic, there were significant pockets of concern, extending beyond safety fears, to question the frenzied paths of investment.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lately, some employees are noticing an ominous trend in their career trajectories.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Though team trajectories aren’t necessarily linear, this year could help dictate Ottawa’s ultimate fortune.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In your digestive tract, calcium and magnesium use some of the same pathways to get absorbed.—
Julie Scott,
Verywell Health,
2 Oct. 2025
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And a great way to strengthen these pathways is through play.—
Kimberly Zapata,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Orbits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbits. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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