variants
also vicious cycle
as in cycle
a repeating situation or condition in which one problem causes another problem that makes the first problem worse
We're trapped in a vicious circle of needing to borrow money in order to pay debts.
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Recent Examples of vicious circle
If people believed that inner joy was an index of personal redemption, then some might also read their own low mood as signs of their abandonment by God and fall into a vicious circle of self-reinforcing anguish.
—
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Hamas may commit to some version of disarmament, but their militant ideology, desire for influence over Gaza’s future, and the presence of the IDF will give them a thousand reasons not to give up their arms, and their failure to do so, in turn, will give the IDF reason to stay—a vicious circle.
—
Foreign Affairs,
9 Oct. 2025
But Carter, who still suffers nightmares and panic attacks, found himself in a vicious circle of mental breakdowns followed by escalating sanctions, each leaving Carter further from receiving effective treatment and further from getting paroled, Margolis said.
—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
6 May 2025
This vicious circle means that for electric-plane design, adding batteries to boost range isn't a viable strategy.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
24 May 2016
See All Example Sentences for vicious circle
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Hamas may commit to some version of disarmament, but their militant ideology, desire for influence over Gaza’s future, and the presence of the IDF will give them a thousand reasons not to give up their arms, and their failure to do so, in turn, will give the IDF reason to stay—a vicious circle.
—
Foreign Affairs,
9 Oct. 2025
But Carter, who still suffers nightmares and panic attacks, found himself in a vicious circle of mental breakdowns followed by escalating sanctions, each leaving Carter further from receiving effective treatment and further from getting paroled, Margolis said.
—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
6 May 2025
This vicious circle means that for electric-plane design, adding batteries to boost range isn't a viable strategy.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
24 May 2016
See All Example Sentences for vicious circle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious circle
Noun
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The gathering of religious conservatives at the Washington Hilton is one of the earliest temperature checks of likely GOP primary voters before the 2028 election cycle begins.
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Seek Quality Sleep Evidence suggests that a consistent sleep-wake cycle promotes your body's rhythms, including gut motility.
Noun
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Meanwhile, his younger brother opted for a more casual look, donning a white tank top, jeans, a leather belt, and a dangling chain, just a month after attending the Dior Cruise Show in Los Angeles on May 13.
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Fatty acids are long chains of carbon surrounded by hydrogen atoms.
Noun
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The culmination of the event saw people filtering into the shore to create a circle of colorful surfboards dotted with flowers to toss into the ocean to honor ancestors, invoke healing and celebrate the relationship between Black people and the ocean.
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But even as his social circle broadened, there was perhaps no one more influential on Greenspan than Ayn Rand.
Noun
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Charting the other end of the goth continuum were My Bloody Valentine.
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Building out the continuum of care for pregnant women and for postpartum moms is essential to transforming lives and changing outcomes.
Cite this Entry
“Vicious circle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious%20circle. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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