How to Use circumference in a Sentence

circumference

noun
  • The fence marks the circumference of the field.
  • What is the circumference of the Earth at the equator?
  • The circle is 38 inches in circumference.
  • Stroll the circumference of the lake (5.5 miles), just do part of the loop, or walk it twice; the walk’s the thing.
    The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2023
  • The patio curves around about 1/4 of the circumference of the tree about 40 feet out from the trunk.
    oregonlive, 26 Feb. 2022
  • Measure the tree at 4.5 feet above the ground for the circumference.
    Julie A. Short/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, 26 Mar. 2018
  • If the length of the rope is the same as the circumference of the fence, what is the maximum area upon which the horse can feed?
    Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
  • This means that the inside of the wheel has a larger circumference than the outside of the wheel.
    Svenja Lohner, Scientific American, 12 Sep. 2019
  • The tree that fell on Vasquez was at least six feet in circumference.
    Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 8 July 2021
  • Maybe that’s what awaits us inside the circumference of the moat.
    Chris Richards, Washington Post, 17 May 2023
  • In this case the circumference of the push rim dictates how hard the chair will be to move forward.
    Tim Heming, Outside Online, 10 Sep. 2021
  • The bear doesn’t swim but can run along the circumference at 3.5 times the swimmer’s speed, which is 1 unit of length per unit of time.
    Quanta Magazine, 25 Aug. 2021
  • The right cuff size—not too big and not too small—is based on the circumference of your mid-upper arm.
    Carla Delgado, Verywell Health, 20 Sep. 2023
  • In the largest pythons, this translated to a circumference equal to a pair of 32-inch-waist jeans.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 24 Oct. 2024
  • In the eight years since first setting out on the PCT, Garmire has hiked nearly as many miles as the circumference of the earth.
    Mary Beth Skylis, Outside Online, 6 Dec. 2019
  • Great circles are the paths around a sphere whose distance is equal to the circumference of that sphere.
    Julissa Treviño, Smithsonian, 2 May 2018
  • To get your palm width, wrap a soft measuring tape all the way around the widest part of your hand and record the circumference.
    Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2024
  • The larger the searchlight, the larger the circumference of the unknown.
    Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
  • This tall tree with a wide circumference will fill up a room.
    Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, 15 Sep. 2020
  • To make: Start by measuring the circumference of head of the person who will wear the crown.
    Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 24 June 2023
  • Her instructions are to use the machete to measure the size of the tribe flag, the boat on their beach, and the circumference of Tree Mail.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2024
  • In just a second, light could go around the circumference of the Earth more than seven times.
    Rhett Allain, Wired, 7 Jan. 2022
  • Hoffman considered the case in which the leash (of length L) is less than or equal to half the curve’s circumference.
    Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
  • The rule is this: the circumference of the ball should be equal to a half integer number of wavelengths.
    Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 27 June 2018
  • The face of one of his children was on his right forearm, the circumference of an office clock.
    Tyler R. Tynes, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
  • The circumference of our tree is 9.5 feet at about a foot off the ground and is our signature front yard tree that shades our house.
    oregonlive, 27 Mar. 2022
  • This implies the same for the circumferences of the two circles: B is three times longer around its perimeter than A.
    Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 20 June 2023
  • At each level, there is a network of ring beams the entire circumference of the Sphere.
    Melinda Sheckells, Billboard, 24 July 2019
  • At the height of the polyester era, your pants terminated in a flare that had the circumference of the Liberty Bell.
    Star Tribune, 16 May 2021
  • Researchers found that the group who added cumin to their yogurt reduced weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference.
    Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 20 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circumference.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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