Thesaurus results for ORBITS

orbits 1 of 2

noun

plural of orbit

as in loops

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orbits

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of orbit

as in circles

to travel completely around the moon orbits the Earth

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 orbits

Noun

The kick stage will be able to take big payloads from LEO to higher-energy orbits — for example, up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kg) to geostationary orbit, a popular hangout for spy, communications and weather satellites that lies 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 June 2026 Canadian and American researchers simulated satellite orbits in low Earth orbit and generated a metric, the CRASH Clock, that measures the number of days before collisions start happening if collision-avoidance maneuvers stop. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026 The plan represents a departure for Europe’s top satellite makers, which have traditionally focused on large, complex spacecraft in high orbits, but the industry has been disrupted by Starlink’s small, relatively cheap, low-orbit machines. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Verb

Astronomers have discovered a new ocean world outside the solar system that orbits extremely close to its parent star. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026 The new definition of a planet, according to Nat Geo, is an object that orbits the Sun, is large enough to have become round (due to the force of its own gravity) and dominates the neighborhood around its orbit. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 The Perseids, like all meteors, are offshoots from comets, specifically the Swift-Tuttle Comet which orbits the Sun every 133 years. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The parent comet of the Perseids — the comet that sheds particles resulting in the meteor shower — is 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun about every 133 years. — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn't scheduled for a return visit until 2125. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn’t scheduled for a return visit until 2125. — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 Worlds with no sun Every planet in our Solar System orbits the sun, but not all planets are so fortunate. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which already orbits the moon, should provide before and after photos of the wreckage site in the next few weeks. — Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbits

Noun

Dense, cold lead sinks while hot lead rises, setting up natural convection loops that carry decay heat away to external heat sinks without electrical pumps or emergency generators.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Incumbents must convert it into better products and faster learning loops before AI-native competitors narrow the gap.

— Ravi Nemalikanti, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of loops

Verb

The job search can be a draining process, especially when applications go unanswered, AI hysteria circles the internet, and interviews end with little to no feedback.

— Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Whenever the calendar comes out, Amanda Mendoza VanCleave circles the dates.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Definition of circles

Noun

If either of those circuits sides with the Tax Court’s functional test, a formal circuit split will emerge, creating the classic recipe for Supreme Court review.

— Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Then, looking at the amp rating of your circuits (most laundry appliances require a 15–30 amp circuit).

— Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025

Definition of circuits

Noun

Or stay amid the woods at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa, where amenities and activities include yard games, bike paths, archery, and s’mores as well as special seasonal fun.

— Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
In early April, a convoy of 299 Iraqi fuel tankers crossed into Syria on its way to the Mediterranean port of Baniyas, one of the few remaining paths to international markets amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of paths

Verb

Norway’s new King Haakon VIII will be hoping that sentiment rings true following the death of his father, King Harald who died Friday after 35 years on the throne, marking the latest blow for a family reeling from scandal.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
There are various reasons that rings true for professionals looking to become leaders.

— Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rings

Noun

That would, in turn, enable them to constantly search for drones, low-flying warplanes, and even cruise missiles flying in unpredictable trajectories.

— Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
With the married couple of Robert and Camille Sims careening off onto very different moral trajectories, Camille must confront troubling truths as her conscience plummets into the pits of Hades, while Robert is on a profound journey of salvation.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of trajectories

Noun

Also, networks like Starlink, Rassvet, and China’s Guowang and Qianfan fly their satellites in numerous orbital planes, or pathways.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
By the time a younger sibling arrives, parents know the ropes and the pathways to pursue, according to Blazo, who studies sibling relationships and social comparison in sports.

— Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of pathways

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“Orbits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbits. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of orbits

noun

verb

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