as in swirling
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in surrounding
to form a circle around
everyone circled the lectern and waited their turn to read from the Bible
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2
as in orbiting
to travel completely around
with a look of extreme frustration, the commander circled the new recruit
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Recent Examples of circling
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024
In the Instagram post, Grace, 3, is circling the base of a bronze statue of Terri.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Awards pundits are circling too.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
After years working on the Autopilot driver assistance software at Elon Musk’s Tesla, entrepreneur Ian Glow wasn’t impressed by the investors circling his simulations startup, Zeromatter.
—Alex Konrad, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Schoen emerges on the sideline around the time the plane stops circling the stadium.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Though the parameters have since been tweaked, a Little League home run was defined as a routine batted ball on which two or more errors result in the fortunate batter circling the bases, likely accompanied by hoots and laughter from the crowd.
—Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 14 Dec. 2024
The trek begins with a short walk on the Bush Lite West Trail to connect with the Wild Horse Trail that’s part of the Valley-circling Maricopa Trail.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
For many American families, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a tree decorated with lights, ornaments, tinsel – and an electric train circling merrily beneath.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
In October, Deadline reported that Holland was circling the lead role in Nolan’s new event film, which has also since cast Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Matt Damon.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024
In the Instagram post, Grace, 3, is circling the base of a bronze statue of Terri.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Awards pundits are circling too.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
After years working on the Autopilot driver assistance software at Elon Musk’s Tesla, entrepreneur Ian Glow wasn’t impressed by the investors circling his simulations startup, Zeromatter.
—Alex Konrad, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Schoen emerges on the sideline around the time the plane stops circling the stadium.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Though the parameters have since been tweaked, a Little League home run was defined as a routine batted ball on which two or more errors result in the fortunate batter circling the bases, likely accompanied by hoots and laughter from the crowd.
—Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 14 Dec. 2024
The trek begins with a short walk on the Bush Lite West Trail to connect with the Wild Horse Trail that’s part of the Valley-circling Maricopa Trail.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
For many American families, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a tree decorated with lights, ornaments, tinsel – and an electric train circling merrily beneath.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circling
Verb
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Bells in the church, with a gold cross on its steeple visible on Broadway and surrounding blocks, are believed to be more than 170 years old.Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
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Councilmen Seth Walsh and Evan Nolan introduced a motion to work with city police and engineering departments, state agencies, and surrounding jurisdictions on both sides of the Ohio River to identify temporary measures to mitigate the traffic delays posed by the southbound Beard Bridge closure.Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Separate notes in a spiral notebook allegedly found on Mangione included to-do lists to facilitate a killing and references to the Unabomber, a law enforcement source briefed on the matter told CNN.Dalia Faheid, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
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His notebook entries Authorities recovered a spiral notebook from Mangione when he was arrested, two law enforcement sources told CBS News.Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Yoon defended his decision for troops to be deployed at the election commission as other forces were encircling the National Assembly.KIM TONG-HYUNG THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024
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Violinists stood before the pools encircling the Temple of Dendur, while projections of flowers—specifically, from a 1692 self portrait of Rachel Ruysch made in collaboration with Michiel van Musscher—drenched the stone walls ahead in modulations of violet, rose, and rust.Ian Malone, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Meanwhile, a low-pressure system crossing the Great Lakes on Monday will bring mixed wintry precipitation, including light snow in parts of the Northeast.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
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For tornadoes, with their violently rotating columns of air, damage often has a chaotic appearance, with larger uprooted trees often crossing each other.Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near circling
Cite this Entry
“Circling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circling. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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