circulate
verb
cir·cu·late
ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt 
circulated; circulating
1
2
: to pass from person to person or place to place: such as
a
: to flow without obstruction
b
: to become well-known or widespread
rumors circulated through the town
c
: to go from group to group at a social gathering
d
: to come into the hands of readers
specifically
: to become sold or distributed
: to cause to circulate
Examples of circulate in a Sentence
Blood circulates through the body.
Steam circulates in the pipes.
A pump circulates the water through the filter.
Rumors are circulating around town.
The report circulated among the students.
Stories were circulated about mismanagement.
He is circulating a petition asking for a new election.
She circulated among her guests.
Recent Examples on the Web
The investigation also revealed that some individuals allegedly circulated the drugs even further, selling them for profit, trading them for cash and other drugs, or simply using them.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Rumors began to circulate that Nelson Mandela was planning a trip to Cuba to thank Fidel Castro for his support during his imprisonment in South Africa, said Ducassi, who asked Chardy to verify it.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Last month, two Israeli soldiers were removed from combat duty after a photo circulated online showing one of the soldiers taking what appeared to be an axe or sledgehammer to the face of a statue of Jesus Christ in the area of the Christian village of Debel, in southern Lebanon.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Jokic and his co-star, Jamal Murray, both defended Adelman after the shocking season-ending loss, as hot-seat chatter began to inevitably circulate about the rookie head coach.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for circulate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Rumors began to circulate that Nelson Mandela was planning a trip to Cuba to thank Fidel Castro for his support during his imprisonment in South Africa, said Ducassi, who asked Chardy to verify it.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Last month, two Israeli soldiers were removed from combat duty after a photo circulated online showing one of the soldiers taking what appeared to be an axe or sledgehammer to the face of a statue of Jesus Christ in the area of the Christian village of Debel, in southern Lebanon.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Jokic and his co-star, Jamal Murray, both defended Adelman after the shocking season-ending loss, as hot-seat chatter began to inevitably circulate about the rookie head coach.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for circulate
Cite this Entry
“Circulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circulate. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
circulate
verb
cir·cu·late
ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt
circulated; circulating
1
: to move or cause to move in a circle or course
especially
: to follow a course that returns to the starting point
blood circulates through the body
2
: to pass or be passed from person to person or place to place
circulate a rumor
Medical Definition
circulate
intransitive verb
cir·cu·late
ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt
circulated; circulating
: to flow or be propelled naturally through a closed system of channels (as blood vessels)
blood circulates through the body
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