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
The restaurant was loud, with photographers circling the art patrons like vultures. — Eileen Kelly, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 The possible deal follows major Hollywood studios and streamers earlier circling the movie inspired by the biggest video game of 2025. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 The trauma of Cathy’s youth is not that different from the story of Adam and Charles, warped by their father’s expectations and the grooves of rivalry carved after years of circling each other. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 With approximately 18,000 active satellites now circling Earth and proposals underway for millions more, a major transformation is already occurring over our heads. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026 This time, SpaceX was intent on circling the globe from an altitude of 170 miles — not just once but six times over almost 10 hours, ending with a Pacific splashdown near Chile. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 Ship kept circling Earth for a while after deploying the Starlink satellites — though not nearly as long as originally planned. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026 The line that emerged from the event at the time was that agents were circling the AI creation. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026 To Catch a Predator ended shortly after the fallout from Conradt’s death and the enormous amount of negative press circling the ethics of the show. — Emma Urdangen, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
  1. swirling
  2. surrounding
  3. orbiting
  4. spiral
  5. encircling
  6. traversing
  7. spiraling
  8. crossing
Adjective
  • An early tour of his estate, provided by the swirling camerawork of Emmanuel Lubezki, reveals a catalogue of crimes against the animal kingdom, with antlers and furs festooning every surface.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Another highlight is the custom leather ceiling in the owner’s suite, which showcases a swirling pattern like a lollipop’s.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of swirling
Verb
  • The surrounding area has also become increasingly popular among billionaires, and in nearby Palm Beach, security has become part of the draw.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The film follows a protagonist returning to his hometown for the first time in 28 years, drawn back by the mystery surrounding a young artistic prodigy.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • At the same time, the star’s brightness seemed to dim periodically, suggesting an orbiting planet.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The planetary system is among the most studied in our galaxy, and its star is known to host 30 orbiting comets and a giant disk of dust and debris, which NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope photographed in detail in 2015.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Adjective
  • In a new teaser for the episode, Johnson runs through the usual introduction before things quickly spiral into increasingly strange territory alongside SNL cast member Ashley Padilla.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Neouze balances spiral dresses and intricately layered balloon-leg trousers with cleaner separates in jersey and organza.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • Oil drops as Hormuz traffic rebounds Oil prices fell as new data showed crude exports from the Middle East surpassed prewar levels, though any respite may be short-lived as attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz increased.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates between Durango and Silverton, traversing the San Juan National Forest and running along the Animas River.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 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
  • Super El Niño impact Inflation in India has been rising for 10 straight months, crossing the central bank's medium-term target of 4% in August, even as economic growth has been resilient so far.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • There were a lot of nuns and priests, and people crossing themselves and crying.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 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 10 Oct. 2026.

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