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 networks
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.
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Recent Examples of circles
Tessa Petak, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
Largely unknown outside scientific circles, Lehmann fundamentally transformed our understanding of what lies at the heart of our planet.
—Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
His exit was seen in some circles as a sign of defiance against the way Weiss has been managing CBS News.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Then, working in small circles, wipe at the stain moving from one end to the other.
—Bridget Reed Morawski, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Just days later, on April 3, Venus will clash with Pluto, stirring powerful feelings around desire, control and value, whether in love, finances or your friendship circles.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Some were growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs), which have become increasingly popular in fitness circles for their potential to stimulate growth hormone release and promote muscle building and repair.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
But the same animal at another time of the year might be able to run circles around the wolf, for the wolf is actually a relatively slow runner.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Schultz started to make a name for himself in scouting circles over the summer.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Editing compounds that issue, and not even a familiar and fun soundtrack can distract from a narrative that endlessly circles the same jokes and conflicts without properly deepening them.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Anthony Arceneaux, who owns the spot with his wife, Jennifer, circles the room in a white cowboy hat, shaking hands like a Presidential candidate.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Amazomania really circles around that.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Tahoe Rim Trail At roughly 170 miles, the Tahoe Rim Trail circles the entire lake and offers everything from casual afternoon loops to multi-day backpacking epics.
—Ted Alvarez, Outside, 9 Mar. 2026
Charles then circles around the cruiser and onto a sidewalk, which puts a barrier of snow between him and Jones, who can be seen standing in the street.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
As the camera circles the car, two other portions of Kennedy’s speech play in the background.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The polar vortex is a persistent, large-scale cyclone that circles the Arctic and contains extremely cold air.
—Brandi D. Addison, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
In his book, A Voyage Around the Queen, author Craig Brown claimed that although Meghan and Harry's real names don't get brought up too often in royal circles, the estranged family members are referred to indirectly, per The Mirror.
—Tessa Petak, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
Largely unknown outside scientific circles, Lehmann fundamentally transformed our understanding of what lies at the heart of our planet.
—Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
His exit was seen in some circles as a sign of defiance against the way Weiss has been managing CBS News.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Then, working in small circles, wipe at the stain moving from one end to the other.
—Bridget Reed Morawski, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Just days later, on April 3, Venus will clash with Pluto, stirring powerful feelings around desire, control and value, whether in love, finances or your friendship circles.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Some were growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs), which have become increasingly popular in fitness circles for their potential to stimulate growth hormone release and promote muscle building and repair.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
But the same animal at another time of the year might be able to run circles around the wolf, for the wolf is actually a relatively slow runner.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Schultz started to make a name for himself in scouting circles over the summer.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
The space station circles our planet at an altitude referred to as low-Earth orbit, which is closer to Earth's atmosphere and allows the outpost to move more quickly around Earth than objects further out in space.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Editing compounds that issue, and not even a familiar and fun soundtrack can distract from a narrative that endlessly circles the same jokes and conflicts without properly deepening them.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Anthony Arceneaux, who owns the spot with his wife, Jennifer, circles the room in a white cowboy hat, shaking hands like a Presidential candidate.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Amazomania really circles around that.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Tahoe Rim Trail At roughly 170 miles, the Tahoe Rim Trail circles the entire lake and offers everything from casual afternoon loops to multi-day backpacking epics.
—Ted Alvarez, Outside, 9 Mar. 2026
Charles then circles around the cruiser and onto a sidewalk, which puts a barrier of snow between him and Jones, who can be seen standing in the street.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
As the camera circles the car, two other portions of Kennedy’s speech play in the background.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The polar vortex is a persistent, large-scale cyclone that circles the Arctic and contains extremely cold air.
—Brandi D. Addison, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circles
Noun
-
The new rings are here The Dodgers gave out World Series rings on Friday.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Ken Clay, who won World Series rings with the New York Yankees following the first two of his five seasons in Major League Baseball, died March 26.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The steel loops that attach it to your bag are super sturdy and durable.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The musicians presumably had to rely heavily on loops in order to finish their tracks before the buzzer went off, and something is always slamming, scratching, or puttering away in the background.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some team owners and networks care about the potential drop in production value.—
Mac Engel
April 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
These platforms must forge collaborative networks that mutually reinforce one another and establish a rigorous framework that makes the cultural values of the biennial format legible, tangible, and palpable to various segments of society in the immediate locale and across the continent.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Those rate and balance challenges alone have driven many older borrowers into cycles of delinquent debts.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
These isotopic measurements, including ratios involving hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur, are essential for reconstructing the planet’s history, such as the loss of water over time and ongoing chemical cycles within the atmosphere.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
During heavy rainfall, there is a risk of flooding, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Whiteley Estate also harvests rainwater, which is reused in both guest bathrooms and public areas, and runs on an energy monitoring system that analyses the use of electricity, heating, water and gas to optimize how and when it’s used.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With its maritime forests and natural landscape, water surrounds North Topsail Beach on three sides and offers dog-friendly shores.—
Valerie Fraser Luesse,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
For someone like me, brought up Catholic, mortal sin has remained the secret par excellence, a pagan custom, delicious in its dark-ness and all the human incomprehension that surrounds it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, in a typical day, the ISS orbits Earth about 16 times, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both teams had cruised to the Final Four, each winning easily in the first four rounds.—
Doug Feinberg,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The contest featured three rounds of competition, with each round scored separately.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circles. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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