as in circling
to travel completely around
the moon orbits the Earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of orbiting
Such observations would have confirmed the comets' demise and also shed light on whether smaller pieces of their shattered nuclei would keep orbiting the sun as mini-comets.
—
Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2026
This is increasingly important, given the rising number of satellites orbiting our planet.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Lots of supermassive black holes appear red because most other emitted wavelengths are absorbed by orbiting clouds of dust.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
The Super Heavy booster would come back to the launch tower while the upper Starship stage could make a return landing after orbiting the Earth at least once, depending on the mission.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
The world is home to gigantic storms bigger than Australia, 100-mph winds pummeling its northern reaches and a rocky moon named Io orbiting it that is notoriously riddled with lava-spewing volcanoes.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Starlink is a global internet network that relies on around 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth.
—Aamer Madhani and Susie Blann The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Starlink is a global internet network that relies on around 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth.
—Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2026
This is increasingly important, given the rising number of satellites orbiting our planet.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Lots of supermassive black holes appear red because most other emitted wavelengths are absorbed by orbiting clouds of dust.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
The Super Heavy booster would come back to the launch tower while the upper Starship stage could make a return landing after orbiting the Earth at least once, depending on the mission.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
The world is home to gigantic storms bigger than Australia, 100-mph winds pummeling its northern reaches and a rocky moon named Io orbiting it that is notoriously riddled with lava-spewing volcanoes.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Starlink is a global internet network that relies on around 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth.
—Aamer Madhani and Susie Blann The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Starlink is a global internet network that relies on around 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth.
—Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbiting
Verb
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Detectives noted a consistent gait and distinctive walking pattern across videos captured before and after the shooting, including footage showing the suspect circling the area for hours and later walking away from the Barus & Holley building shortly after the gunfire.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Translated into footwear, the daisy now appears as a metal ring circling the heel rather than on the upper or packaging.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing six miles to the temple where their trip began.—
Deepa Bharath,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The work is a stone arch that, rather than traversing a stream from one bank to another, stands in the water lengthwise, aligned with the rushing current, evoking a leaping salmon.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The rehaut features deep-blue Tambour markings and modern numerals on a crisp white background, encircling a 24-hour GMT scale at a lower level.—
Thor Svaboe,
Robb Report,
2 Feb. 2026
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America’s most powerful military assets have now convened in the Middle East, encircling Iran and preparing to strike it from land, air, and sea.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Orbiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbiting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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