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
Dreaming of owning For now, scores of Londoners are trapped in a vicious circle.
—
Anna Cooban, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
This is an important step towards justice and accountability for women and girls in Afghanistan - women and girls who have been effectively separated, segregated and removed from the public square, locked in the vicious circle of gender apartheid.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Coupled with a new Trump trade war, the resulting economic slowdown could create a vicious circle.
—Bilahari Kausikan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Deflation could lead to a vicious circle by driving down spending and investment, which in turn lead to weaker economic growth and higher unemployment.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vicious circle
Anna Cooban, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
This is an important step towards justice and accountability for women and girls in Afghanistan - women and girls who have been effectively separated, segregated and removed from the public square, locked in the vicious circle of gender apartheid.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Coupled with a new Trump trade war, the resulting economic slowdown could create a vicious circle.
—Bilahari Kausikan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Deflation could lead to a vicious circle by driving down spending and investment, which in turn lead to weaker economic growth and higher unemployment.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vicious circle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious circle
Noun
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The cycle is reactive, expensive and prone to error.—
Zameer Rizvi,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Shares plunged after the cybersecurity firm implied a product refresh cycle may be less impactful than the bulls wanted.—
Jeff Kilburg,
CNBC,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Those items included a rose gold and diamond bracelet worth $15,000, a rose gold and diamond chain worth $50,000, a Rolex Presidential 40mm watch worth $45,000, a Rolex Datejust watch worth $23,000, and a gold and diamond tennis chain worth $30,000.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
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Companies today are facing a complex array of risks and trade-offs across value chains, starting from an increasing demand for natural resources to economic volatility and uncertainty, to witnessing climate risks.—
Vaishali Nigam Sinha,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Present your pitch to this circle and carefully note their feedback to improve the pitch even further.—
Bihag Karnani,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Among the key questions: Who’s in the person’s social circle?—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Everything is connected within a continuum of constant change.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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Because heat is the random motion of particles, these thermal effects suggest to many researchers that black holes, and the space-time continuum in general, actually consist of some kind of particles or other microscopic components.—
George Musser,
Quanta Magazine,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicious circle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious%20circle. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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