1
as in wrapping
to encircle or bind with or as if with a belt
trees girdled the campus, essentially hiding it from view wire girdling the bundle of firewood
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circling
to travel completely around
an asteroid belt that girdles the inner planets of the solar system
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in surrounding
to form a circle around
the rings that famously girdle the planet Saturn
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of girdling
Also, the rootball should be inspected for circling or girdling roots.
—
Larry Figart, Florida Times-Union, 14 Jan. 2026
Removing this layer restricts the tree from moving water up from the roots or nutrients back down, a process known as girdling.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025
The new levee begins at the city of San Mateo’s border and runs below the San Mateo Bridge before girdling the city’s borders.
—John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Nov. 2023
Larry Figart, Florida Times-Union, 14 Jan. 2026
Removing this layer restricts the tree from moving water up from the roots or nutrients back down, a process known as girdling.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025
The new levee begins at the city of San Mateo’s border and runs below the San Mateo Bridge before girdling the city’s borders.
—John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for girdling
Verb
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The couple packed on the PDA, holding hands, wrapping their arms around each other, kissing, and glancing lovingly at one another.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
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After wrapping cucumbers, Trimble likes to store them in a produce keeper placed in her refrigerator's crisper drawer.—
Susan Hall Mahon,
Southern Living,
8 June 2026
Verb
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That churning mix of confidence and doubt gives Sir Render a full-bodied dynamism that Navy Blue albums can sometimes lack, moving between moods instead of circling around a single frame of mind.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
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Symptoms of prolonged deficiency include ventroflexion of the neck (bending the head toward the floor); mental dullness (confusion, lethargy, non-responsiveness, failing to interact, low energy); vision changes; wobbly walking, circling, or falling; seizures; and weakness and lethargy.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
10 June 2026
Verb
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However, Suzanne Taheri, an attorney representing Greeley Demands Better, said the Telluride case differs from the circumstances surrounding Cascadia.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Police said the investigation remains active, and officers are continuing to gather information regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.—
Alexandra Koch , Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
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For him, the perfect Sunday involves traversing the city, checking out record stores and visiting museums like the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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Carrasco originally planned to travel to the United States independently and then bring the rest of the family, but Aponte insisted the family face the journey, which included traversing several countries and jungles, together.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Styled by Brad Goreski, Moore wore a custom cobalt blue Self Portrait gown with an oversized bow encircling the hips, falling into a train.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
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Bad weather postponed a major construction project on Atlanta's primary highway encircling the city last weekend, but now the traffic chaos is here.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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When the team compared their data to observations from NASA’s massive, orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory, the results were nearly identical.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
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Currently, the jewel in SpaceX’s revenue crown is Starlink, Musk’s network of orbiting internet-providing satellites.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girdling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/girdling. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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