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
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Neptune orbits the sun from, on average, 30 astronomical units (one AU is equivalent to the distance from Earth to the sun).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 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
Earth orbits the sun at an angle, so in the northern hemisphere, where the United States is, Earth is tilted toward the sun during summer and away during winter, while the southern hemisphere is experiencing the opposite.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
As Earth orbits the Sun, our perspective of the galaxy changes throughout the year.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
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, 18 Aug. 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
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
Neptune orbits the sun from, on average, 30 astronomical units (one AU is equivalent to the distance from Earth to the sun).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 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
Earth orbits the sun at an angle, so in the northern hemisphere, where the United States is, Earth is tilted toward the sun during summer and away during winter, while the southern hemisphere is experiencing the opposite.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
As Earth orbits the Sun, our perspective of the galaxy changes throughout the year.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
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, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbits
Verb
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Location and orbit revealed The team calculated that the moon circles Uranus about 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) from the planet’s center.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Aug. 2025
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His falcon still circles, but the sky above Gaza offers no axis, no return path, no center to descend toward, only a deepening orbit around an absence no language can fill.—
Alaa Alqaisi
August 13,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In peer relationships, how should feedback loops work?—
Jason Andersen,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Silvery twine loops form a scalloped garland.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The project also calls for several banquet rooms, as well as a 6-foot-wide waterfront walkway, open to the public during business hours, that traverses the perimeter of the property.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
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In two seasons, released in 2022 and 2025, the show traverses the Star Wars galaxy to show what means people employ to consolidate power and what risks others take to stop empire.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
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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Since the archer is a defender of the universe, the sentiment rings true for the loyalty and camaraderie Sazz brings through her actions.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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That sentiment probably rings very true for the devoted fans of the long-running franchise that has included six television seasons and three theatrical films.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After meeting in college, Katie and Hubbell continue to cross paths over the years, eventually getting married before their differing opinions and lifestyles get in the way.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Rising costs, shrinking margins, and uncertain downstream revenues mean buyers want not just artistry but clear commercial paths — awards buzz, international pre-sales, or genre hooks — that guarantee theatrical draw.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Tools alone can’t shift trajectories; culture does.—
Thasha Batts,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
That chance, the brass believed, would have given him endless low-pressure reps to view complex defenses and troubleshoot different throw trajectories.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These tariffs threaten to kneecap an emerging sector of innovation around the world, that is, for the first time, using traditional startup strategies and pathways to innovate, scale and grow.—
Nish Acharya,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
There are different types of biologic medicines, but typically, these powerful drugs work for people with a condition like mine by blocking specific inflammatory pathways in your immune system to help control inflammation and pain.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Orbits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbits. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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