full circle

adverb

: through a series of developments that lead back to the original source, position, or situation or to a complete reversal of the original position
—usually used in the phrase come full circle

Examples of full circle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Elsinore, in turn, felt like a powerful meta subject to bring full circle. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026 My own Hard Rock infatuation came full circle on a 2022 mother-daughter trip. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026 Dudamel could have easily left it at that, coming a full circle from 17 years ago. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 So, The Love Hypothesis movie really is a full circle moment for all parties involved. — Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for full circle

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of full circle was circa 1616

Rhymes for full circle

See All Rhymes for full circle

Browse Nearby Words

full-cell process
full circle
full close
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Full circle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full%20circle. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All