as in swirling
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1
as in surrounding
to form a circle around
everyone circled the lectern and waited their turn to read from the Bible
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in orbiting
to travel completely around
with a look of extreme frustration, the commander circled the new recruit
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circling
Emma Caughlan, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
All of it lands at a moment when Quinta do Lago inventory is tight, and buyers are still circling.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2026
On a morning in April, a plane circling overhead drew anxious onlookers.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
And Just Like That… Maybe the depiction of an industry circling the drain is simply too grim to bear.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
But just like clockwork, fashion always has a way of circling back.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
One option is circling back to the Houston Astros about third baseman Isaac Paredes, who was long rumored to be a potential Red Sox target throughout the offseason before the club traded for Durbin.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Six hours later a spotter at the finish blew a whistle to signal the leaders were circling above.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
News of his involvement comes following our story yesterday on McCarthy circling the project.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
Helicopters were circling over 30 Rockefeller Plaza, home of NBC News, ahead of Charles' arrival.
—Emma Caughlan, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
All of it lands at a moment when Quinta do Lago inventory is tight, and buyers are still circling.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2026
On a morning in April, a plane circling overhead drew anxious onlookers.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
And Just Like That… Maybe the depiction of an industry circling the drain is simply too grim to bear.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
But just like clockwork, fashion always has a way of circling back.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
One option is circling back to the Houston Astros about third baseman Isaac Paredes, who was long rumored to be a potential Red Sox target throughout the offseason before the club traded for Durbin.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Six hours later a spotter at the finish blew a whistle to signal the leaders were circling above.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
News of his involvement comes following our story yesterday on McCarthy circling the project.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
Adjective
-
The news comes amid swirling reports and speculation about a number of cases.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
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Lowery manifests that vision as a swirling tangle of red fabric that acquires an almost corporeal form, a mesmerizing jolt of color in the sumptuous darkness of DP Andrew Droz Palermo’s visuals (Rina Yang shot the concert scenes).—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kate Perez The royal visit is part of the celebrations surrounding the 250th anniversary of the United States.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Such events underscore the complicated security questions surrounding presidential protection in a country where citizens expect their leaders to move through public spaces, hold rallies, attend events and appear before crowds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In its time orbiting Earth, Hubble has shaped our understanding of the universe by observing the atmospheric composition of planets around other stars and even discovering dark energy – a mysterious force that causes the universe to expand.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The film is set in Mumbai and built around a miserly protagonist whose circumstances spiral into escalating absurdity.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
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The signature spiral silhouette for the ring captures the idea of infinite motion within a sculptural form.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Existing storage facilities within Beijing’s Sixth Ring Road—an encircling expressway about 15 to 20 miles from the city center—are limited to storing a maximum of three drones or 10 core components while also being required to undergo police inspections.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
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Curve around the city on the Trout Run Trail, an 11-mile asphalt loop encircling the historic downtown.—
Sarah Miller,
Midwest Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Experts feared that Asian economies — which imported 90% of the oil traversing through the Strait of Hormuz before the war — could be devastated by a prolonged disruption to Gulf crude production.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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And Just Like That, including designer clothing, Manhattan-traversing stilettos, kitschy furniture, and memorabilia from Big’s death.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Still annoyed, weirdly offended, and slightly spiraling.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
6 Apr. 2026
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Violent confrontations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota are being driven by outside actors exploiting chaos, not organic protest, according to a protest insider warning that the situation is rapidly spiraling.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As Tafoya noted, the journalist is the one crossing the professional ethical boundary.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Aiden Hezarkhani was able to beat Jakob Glesnes on the left wing before crossing to an open Zavier Gozo.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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