as in circles
to travel completely around
the moon orbits the Earth
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 orbits
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
Canadian and American researchers simulated satellite orbits in low Earth orbit and generated a metric, the CRASH Clock, that measures the number of days before collisions start happening if collision-avoidance maneuvers stop.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Jan. 2026
The plan represents a departure for Europe’s top satellite makers, which have traditionally focused on large, complex spacecraft in high orbits, but the industry has been disrupted by Starlink’s small, relatively cheap, low-orbit machines.
—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
3 July 2026
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,
29 June 2026
Much of our social life, our ways of making and sharing a world, orbits the face.
—
Cal Revely-Calder,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
After tracking Krem's crew across the galaxy, Kara finally catches up with the Brigands on a hostile planet that orbits both a green and a yellow sun.
—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
As Earth orbits the sun, the Northern Hemisphere is currently tilted most directly toward the sun.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
As the planet orbits the sun, that tilt continues to point in the same direction.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Starlink is a constellation of satellites that orbits Earth at around 340 miles, which is much closer than other geostationary satellites, according to the company’s website.
—
Dj Simmons,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
The loss of communication triggered contingency plans for engineers to try to restore a link with MAVEN, which orbits Mars more than 200 million miles from Earth.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Noun
The kick stage will be able to take big payloads from LEO to higher-energy orbits — for example, up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kg) to geostationary orbit, a popular hangout for spy, communications and weather satellites that lies 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth.
—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
Canadian and American researchers simulated satellite orbits in low Earth orbit and generated a metric, the CRASH Clock, that measures the number of days before collisions start happening if collision-avoidance maneuvers stop.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Jan. 2026
The plan represents a departure for Europe’s top satellite makers, which have traditionally focused on large, complex spacecraft in high orbits, but the industry has been disrupted by Starlink’s small, relatively cheap, low-orbit machines.
—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Should the luminiferous ether exist, then scientists reasoned that as the Earth orbits the sun at around 66,000 miles per hour (106,216 kilometers per hour), our planet should be moving through the ether, which had been deemed to be stationary.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
3 July 2026
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,
29 June 2026
Much of our social life, our ways of making and sharing a world, orbits the face.
—
Cal Revely-Calder,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
After tracking Krem's crew across the galaxy, Kara finally catches up with the Brigands on a hostile planet that orbits both a green and a yellow sun.
—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
As Earth orbits the sun, the Northern Hemisphere is currently tilted most directly toward the sun.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
As the planet orbits the sun, that tilt continues to point in the same direction.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Starlink is a constellation of satellites that orbits Earth at around 340 miles, which is much closer than other geostationary satellites, according to the company’s website.
—
Dj Simmons,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
The loss of communication triggered contingency plans for engineers to try to restore a link with MAVEN, which orbits Mars more than 200 million miles from Earth.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbits
Noun
-
Leaders should identify where bottlenecks crept back in, restore psychological safety around small failures, and rebuild the feedback loops that make frequent, low-risk deployment feel sustainable.
-
Rounding out the trio is a take on the Air Max 95 Neon with orange substitutions on its Big Bubble heel unit and eyestay loops and a green and orange gradient on the outsole’s shank.
Verb
-
Chapter 1 Randy Fields stalks through the newsroom, circles my desk and sits across from me.
-
The book circles political concerns that remain relevant today, including empire, caste prejudice, and the dangers of despotism and corruption.
Noun
-
If either of those circuits sides with the Tax Court’s functional test, a formal circuit split will emerge, creating the classic recipe for Supreme Court review.
-
Then, looking at the amp rating of your circuits (most laundry appliances require a 15–30 amp circuit).
Verb
-
Like Orton’s prior work, The Ground Above traverses some tricky emotional terrain.
-
On July 6, the route traverses Tilden Regional Park and Briones Regional Park before finishing at Heather Farm Park.
Noun
-
This isn't burnout, but profound uncertainty stemming from AI disruption, economic instability, and evolving career paths.
-
The paths through the bush are infested with these ticks, as are many back yards.
Verb
-
In fact, the only thing that rings true is how the Three Lions end up exiting the tournament.
-
But don’t tell that to winger Timothy Weah, who could be in line for his first start of the tournament as Pochettino rings the changes to keep his players fresh for the round of 32.
Noun
-
The beverage’s roots go back to 1565, when the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade route began between Mexico and the Philippines, permanently altering both countries’ culinary trajectories.
-
China’s defense ecosystem follows a different set of market dynamics, customer segments, and interoperability frameworks, with exports and production shaped by trajectories that remain distinct from the replenishment and modernization cycle underway across NATO-standard supply chains.
Noun
-
Senate Bills 1144 and 1140 required highway districts to prioritize vehicle traffic and barred them from narrowing streets to make room for bike lanes and pedestrian pathways, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
-
Regional leaders should use those results and current labor-market data to improve or discontinue pathways that no longer lead to viable work.
Cite this Entry
“Orbits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orbits. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
