variants
also vicious cycle
as in cycle
a repeating situation or condition in which one problem causes another problem that makes the first problem worse
We're trapped in a vicious circle of needing to borrow money in order to pay debts.
Related Words
Relevance
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 vicious circle
Thanks to the vicious circle Beijing has created, the economy now routinely struggles to reach its annual growth target of five percent and is constantly battling deflation.
—
Dan Wang, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Although the head coach has a squad deep in quantity and quality, periods with several players out injured can be a vicious circle for Hurzeler.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
Dreaming of owning For now, scores of Londoners are trapped in a vicious circle.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
This is an important step towards justice and accountability for women and girls in Afghanistan - women and girls who have been effectively separated, segregated and removed from the public square, locked in the vicious circle of gender apartheid.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious circle
Dan Wang, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Although the head coach has a squad deep in quantity and quality, periods with several players out injured can be a vicious circle for Hurzeler.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
Dreaming of owning For now, scores of Londoners are trapped in a vicious circle.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
This is an important step towards justice and accountability for women and girls in Afghanistan - women and girls who have been effectively separated, segregated and removed from the public square, locked in the vicious circle of gender apartheid.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious circle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious circle
Noun
-
As a result, embodied emissions, e-waste, and the administrative burden of the conventional hardware refresh cycle are greatly reduced.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Paes spoke passionately about the urgent need for resources in the harshly remote settings seen in the film — settings that help to foment these cycles of abuse.—
Stacey Wilson Hunt,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With masses equivalent to millions or even billions of suns, supermassive black holes are too massive to have been born from dying stars; instead, it is theorized that they are created when smaller black holes collide and merge, and a chain of progressively larger and larger mergers.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The investment group also includes the Cherng Family Trust, the family office of the co-founders of the Panda Express restaurant chain, according to Friday’s statement.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Heavy trucks account for about two gigatonnes of carbon dioxide annually, not to mention other emissions, so seeking cleaner alternatives to power them is a major priority in environmental circles.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Another, also built from white disks on a bending wire, evokes a mechanized Japanese cherry tree, its circles—perched high on a narrow stem—not revolving so much as brushing quickly past one another.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The typical Sahib Singh character exists on a continuum from swagger to insecurity.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Community policing, which is a collaboration between police and the community to solve problems, and the use-of-force continuum – the escalating series of appropriate actions an officer may take to resolve a situation – also form part of training.—
Luke William Hunt,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicious circle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious%20circle. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share