as in circles
to travel completely around
the moon orbits the Earth
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Recent Examples of orbits
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
If a planet orbits close to its star in an elliptical orbit, then its interior will stretch and squeeze as the gravitational strength of the star changes.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Because the station orbits Earth once every 90 minutes, the crew on board sees 16 sunrises and sunsets every day.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
The same can be said of the moon, which instead orbits Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The researchers also discovered that this cloud is gravitationally bound to another object, one that also orbits the star J0705+0612.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Bichette could consult Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews for advice on how to handle the pressure of playing in a city that seemingly orbits around its team, but even that’s not the same.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
The same can be said of the moon, which instead orbits Earth.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 16 Jan. 2026
At Real Madrid, Bellingham is not the star around whom everything orbits in the same way, sharing the stage with Kylian Mbappe and operating with less freedom in attack.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Alien debate Scientists claimed to have found signs of life on a planet called K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years from Earth, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters in April.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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
If a planet orbits close to its star in an elliptical orbit, then its interior will stretch and squeeze as the gravitational strength of the star changes.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Because the station orbits Earth once every 90 minutes, the crew on board sees 16 sunrises and sunsets every day.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
The same can be said of the moon, which instead orbits Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The researchers also discovered that this cloud is gravitationally bound to another object, one that also orbits the star J0705+0612.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Bichette could consult Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews for advice on how to handle the pressure of playing in a city that seemingly orbits around its team, but even that’s not the same.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
The same can be said of the moon, which instead orbits Earth.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 16 Jan. 2026
At Real Madrid, Bellingham is not the star around whom everything orbits in the same way, sharing the stage with Kylian Mbappe and operating with less freedom in attack.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Alien debate Scientists claimed to have found signs of life on a planet called K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years from Earth, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters in April.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbits
Noun
-
Micro-feedback loops are far more effective than top-down messaging during rapid change.—
Keith Ferrazzi,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The main changes occur on the upper, which swaps out the shoe’s usual ballistic nylon for a full-leather construction that extends to the lace loops, heel tabs and tongues.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The polar vortex is a persistent, large-scale cyclone that circles the Arctic and contains extremely cold air.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Feb. 2026
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But this award, which was inaugurated in 2023 with a Jesso win, circles the same handful of writers, and country scribes like Jessie Jo Dillon, pop bards like Amy Allen, and reggaeton men-at-arms like Edgar Barrera are just as up next.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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 film’s story spans thousands of years and traverses multiple continents, with locations ranging from Antarctica to Africa to the titular Indian city.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
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Published in 1994, The Riders follows Scully, an Australian man who traverses Europe, alongside his young daughter Billie, in search of the wife that abandoned them.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Terrance Gore, a former outfielder and three-time World Series champion known for his blazing speed on the base paths, has died at 34 years old, according to Major League Baseball officials.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Local boys and girls high school soccer teams found out their playoff paths on Saturday when the CIF Southern Section released its postseason brackets.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Applause rings out, cheers and whoops are abundant.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Payton’s perception of him then rings true in the present.—
Trevor Woods,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The two finished with Blair on very different trajectories.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
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The duo, young for their career trajectories, first met at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Creating Opportunities for Local Economic Growth Regional economic health is affected by workforce development, and the accelerated nursing pathways help support Kansas City’s economic growth.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The question was not about the quality of players, but rather how they could be ranked equitably with thousands of other players across 24 tours because LIV was perceived as having a closed shop instead of pathways and turnover.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Orbits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbits. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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