vicious circles

noun

variants also vicious cycles
plural of vicious circle
as in cycles
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious circles
  1. cycles
  2. chains
  3. circles
Noun
  • Staff who work at harm reduction clinics set up specifically to help men who use steroids tell me that twenty years ago there were fewer users, and those users took longer breaks between cycles at lower doses.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Just as in the previous 10 cycles, the current cycle combines economic concerns (including energy prices) and negative stories about incumbents in various offices.
    — Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of cycles
Noun
  • Cinemark and Regal among major chains have decided against their own sequel releases due to Netflix’s ultra-short two-week release window on offer, while AMC Theatres will screen the David Fincher film, starring Brad Pitt, on its Imax screens.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The light generates highly reactive chlorine radicals that activate carbon atoms along the polymer chains without destroying them.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of chains
Noun
  • The two master watchmakers are widely regarded in horological circles as the crème de la crème, having honed their expertise at Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Gérald Genta, and Franck Muller, between them.
    — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The plan reflects growing recognition within defense planning circles that a future conflict could affect not only battlefields overseas but also the infrastructure and industrial networks supporting military operations at home.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of circles
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.

Browse Nearby Words

vicious circle
vicious circles
viciously
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Cite this Entry

“Vicious circles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious%20circles. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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