1
2
as in loops
a circular strip
a decorative circle of silver on the rim of the commemorative plate for their 25th wedding anniversary
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in communities
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially
got together with her social circle once a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cycles
a series of events or actions that repeat themselves regularly and in the same order
with the birth of a child coming so soon after the death of a grandparent, we were once again reminded of the circle of life
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in areas
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
that lies outside the circle of our investigation
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in surrounds
to form a circle around
everyone circled the lectern and waited their turn to read from the Bible
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in orbits
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 circles
Michael Collins, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
But with prices consistently uncompetitive, demand scant, and government incentives in the US and elsewhere drying up, there’s a growing perception in energy circles that the hydrogen bubble has burst.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Try varied touch, slow circles, tapping, or steady pressure when engaging with that part of the body to reveal new layers of pleasure.
—Essence, 11 Sep. 2025
Kirk later went on to co-found the conservative student group Turning Point USA at the age of 18, which really established the activist in Republican circles.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Those quickly went massively viral, expanding Kirk and TPUSA’s reach online outside just conservative circles.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s how Kirk and Turning Point found success in conservative circles — by injecting the organization directly into cultural battles and turning divisive debates into online and offline engagement.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Tuesday’s executive order has been quietly dreaded in media circles for months, as reversing the 1997 rule was seen as the most likely path forward for Kennedy’s plan.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
His loss sent a jolt of panic through business circles, causing Argentine stocks to plummet by more than 20% on Wall Street Monday.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2025
His falcon still circles, but the sky above Gaza offers no axis, no return path, no center to descend toward, only a deepening orbit around an absence no language can fill.
—Alaa Alqaisi
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
The route starts in West Haven and circles the outer towns of the state first, then spirals in.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2025
The requirement that an agency employee supervise night operations is impractical when that employee is flying a plane, which circles thousands of feet above helicopters and has limited visibility into what’s going on below, some of the county chiefs said.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
In a sign of Kirk’s influence in Republican circles, Vice President JD Vance accompanied Kirk’s family and coffin aboard Air Force Two on the trip back to their home in Arizona.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
But with prices consistently uncompetitive, demand scant, and government incentives in the US and elsewhere drying up, there’s a growing perception in energy circles that the hydrogen bubble has burst.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Try varied touch, slow circles, tapping, or steady pressure when engaging with that part of the body to reveal new layers of pleasure.
—Essence, 11 Sep. 2025
Kirk later went on to co-found the conservative student group Turning Point USA at the age of 18, which really established the activist in Republican circles.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Those quickly went massively viral, expanding Kirk and TPUSA’s reach online outside just conservative circles.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s how Kirk and Turning Point found success in conservative circles — by injecting the organization directly into cultural battles and turning divisive debates into online and offline engagement.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Tuesday’s executive order has been quietly dreaded in media circles for months, as reversing the 1997 rule was seen as the most likely path forward for Kennedy’s plan.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
His loss sent a jolt of panic through business circles, causing Argentine stocks to plummet by more than 20% on Wall Street Monday.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Location and orbit revealed The team calculated that the moon circles Uranus about 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) from the planet’s center.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2025
His falcon still circles, but the sky above Gaza offers no axis, no return path, no center to descend toward, only a deepening orbit around an absence no language can fill.
—Alaa Alqaisi
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
The route starts in West Haven and circles the outer towns of the state first, then spirals in.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2025
The requirement that an agency employee supervise night operations is impractical when that employee is flying a plane, which circles thousands of feet above helicopters and has limited visibility into what’s going on below, some of the county chiefs said.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circles
Noun
-
Video of the fatal attack showed Kirk speaking to a large crowd of people on the university campus as a shot rings out.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
When the school sent out an emergency alert phone call, the simultaneous rings echoed up and down the line.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In other words, today’s marketers must know their customers beyond merely CRM fields, build feedback loops that are highly empathetic, even if they’re automated, and create space for human touchpoints, even in digital journeys.—
Nohar Zmora,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The lookalikes feature the same double loops and pointed toes that Mach & Mach is known for.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Specifically, Shellenberger testified that sources had informed him that intelligence communities are in possession of numerous high-resolution photos and videos of the craft unlike any of the grainy imagery that has so far been declassified.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The series builds on The Star's efforts to improve coverage of local communities.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The youth organization received funding from the Homewards Fund to expand its services for local young people, helping to break the cycles of exclusion and unemployment.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
For so long, our dreams—and the time spent reaching them—have caught us in cycles of false promise.—
Alice Lassman,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And Danielson noted that the team now has plenty of time to practice and give attention to areas of concern.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Williams played decently well, but there are plenty of areas that need to improve for the Bears next week.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Kaufman-esque sequence that chases an ever-balding Mike through his movie roles and towards his destiny is great fun to watch, but ultimately calls our attention to the relative torpor that surrounds it.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The collapse continues until a luminous sphere surrounds a dense core that is hot enough to sustain nuclear fusion.—
Luke Keller,
Space.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Earth orbits the sun at an angle, so in the northern hemisphere, where the United States is, Earth is tilted toward the sun during summer and away during winter, while the southern hemisphere is experiencing the opposite.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
-
As Earth orbits the Sun, our perspective of the galaxy changes throughout the year.—
Harry Bennett,
Space.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
By 2020, top Asian VCs were leading billion-dollar valuation rounds for AI, fintech and healthtech companies.—
Rich Karlgaard,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Buy before his price rises multiple rounds.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circles. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share