circling 1 of 2

adjective

as in swirling

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circling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of circle
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of circling
Verb
Lavin points to a franchise staple as the moment worth circling. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Sketch the logo, share the joke, test the recipe, or try whatever has been circling your imagination. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Sep. 2026 Once back at the beach, Bellin saw the otter circling the area and drove herself to the hospital. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Explore See latest videos, charts and news Drizzy has seemingly been circling for an entry point into country music. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2026 Plaintiffs’ firms are circling Carhartt and Dick’s Sporting Goods for two very different reasons. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026 There must have been a hundred of us there, circling the truck, clambering onto its hood, shuffling and shimmying and twerking with abandon. — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 The trio lived and worked in space for 245 days, circling Earth 3,920 times and traveling a total of nearly 104 million miles (167 million kilometers), according to NASA. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026 The spec script has the potential as a strong vehicle for an actress, and at least one is already circling. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
  1. swirling
  2. surrounding
  3. orbiting
  4. spiral
  5. encircling
  6. traversing
  7. spiraling
  8. crossing
Adjective
  • Long, parallel avenues organize the space into legible districts —lending order to the swirling movement — with the oculus serving as a useful center of orientation.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This arrangement was decorated with swirling crystal designs; additionally, a spiral of crystals wrapped around the style’s towering stiletto heel.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of swirling
Verb
  • Other issues surrounding the league — including player safety, the eligibility of transgender players, and the inconsistency of on-court officials — have caused some to question Engelbert’s leadership ability.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Suresh Raut, deputy manager at the Nepal Electricity Authority, who was at the rescue site when the body was discovered, said an 11-man team, including relatives of the missing, has been dispatched to search the surrounding area.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • In 2001, Canadarm2 was attached to the International Space Station and used to help build the orbiting laboratory.
    — Joanna Goodrich, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Canada's GHGSat has a program in which employees name the company's Earth-orbiting satellites after family members, which has generated names from real-life people like Eleonore and Penny.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Adjective
  • But your first goal is to make sure that one unexpected bill doesn't trigger a debt spiral — even $25 per pay period is a start.
    — Dan Avery, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Queen conchs live in spiral, sandy-colored shells with a bright pink or orange interior.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • There are no bleachers, so spectators set up lawn chairs encircling the field.
    — Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Its signature Hémisphère features fine grooves encircling each plate like rings around a planet.
    — Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • Now, agents are capable of performing sophisticated workflows and traversing multiple applications by leveraging a critical artifact of modern computing, the application programming interface (API).
    — George C. Lee II, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The pair left their vehicle to find assistance, traversing salt flats toward Badwater Road, a two-lane highway encircled by mountains.
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of traversing
Adjective
  • Libfeld brought a massive, spiraling kudu horn to practice with at a recent Torat Emet shofar class.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Aside from a spiraling Wanda, there was also an onslaught of high-profile cameos, which almost felt like fandom wish fulfillment designed to keep us entertained when Wanda wasn’t around.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of spiraling
Verb
  • On an August morning two years ago, Meredith Melville was crossing Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, California, to meet a friend at a cafe.
    — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Her vehicle was eventually logged crossing into Mexico by the Department of Homeland Security.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of crossing

Browse Nearby Words

circlets
circling
circuit
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Cite this Entry

“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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