to circle
210
1.8
- verb
- /ˈsɜr.kəl/
:
dar vueltas alrededor de
- We circled around the top of this hill and we got to the hotel, which was called Salina Cruz.
- circle the Earth
- circle the globe
- circle slowly
A dog forever circling the space I plan to occupy.
- A dog forever circling the space I plan to occupy.
- They seem so calm in their energetic heat, circling the throne and chanting.
- OK, now what happens is the the maybes circle and spiral, right?
- You've only got one ride on this rock that circles in One Direction, right?
Examples
-
Then we were on our feet, a stride apart, circling each other in a crouch.
Fiction book (1991) -
I'm gonna circle around back.
-
Well, circle around and fire again!
-
I can see the questions circling around in your head.
-
You feel like your plane is on its final descent, or are you just circling?
-
But throughout the telling, it keeps circling back to its readers and their expectations.
Academic text (1996) -
A bomber from Khartoum circled over nearly every day searching for rebel targets to hit.
Academic text (2012) -
While underneath the tree, hyenas are circling because they want to get scraps.
-
And the conversation does, as Boehmer suggests, circle around the possibilities and limitations of benevolent intervention.
Academic text (2013) -
The planes will circle around the city before landing at the airport.
Synonyms
126
3.9
To move in a curved path around a planet or star
88
3.0
Move around something following a curved path
87
2.5
To form a circle around something to surround it
78
2.0
Move in a circle around a point, like a planet around the Sun
46
1.1
To go on foot around the edge of something instead of through it
41
3.2
To make something move in a circle around a central point
33
3.4
To form a circle around a person or thing
28
8.3
To move in a circle or become a round shape
24
4.1
To turn quickly to face a different direction
21
2.3
Move in a round path around someone or something
10
3.6
Move in a circle around a central object, like planets around the Sun
8
4.3
Move in a curved path around Earth like a satellite or spacecraft
7
3.2
Travel by boat around a place like a coast or lake
6
8.3
To travel all the way around something, for example the world, by ship or plane
Move around something or someone in a circle
Move around another object in a curved path
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
11
3.7
An imaginary line about 66 degrees north where the sun stays above or below the horizon for a day
- Jargon
6
6.1
A small area at a racetrack where owners of winning horses receive prizes
4
4.1
A group of people who take part in government or party work and share similar views
2
2.8
A round road junction where cars go around a central island to enter or leave
1
4.6
An imaginary line about 66 degrees south that marks the start of the area near the South Pole
- Specialized
1
5.8
A circle on a globe made when a flat surface passes through the center
- Specialized
1
6.9
A ring of blood vessels at the base of the brain that carries blood to the brain and nearby parts
- US
1
3.9
A circle that shows how colors are related, for example primary and opposite colors
- Specialized
A circle that touches a curve on its inside and matches its bend there
- Jargon
A pommel horse move where both legs swing together in a circle while the hands switch on the handles
- Specialized
An imaginary circle across the sky midway between the north and south poles
- Specialized
A gymnastics move where a person lies on their back, arches their back and brings their feet to their head
- Specialized
A ring of mushrooms that grow where the fungus spreads under the ground
- UK
A gymnastics move on the horizontal bar where you swing all the way around with your body straight
- Specialized
A circle on the sky that passes through both celestial poles and a star to show its right ascension
- Specialized
A circle that touches a curve at one point and matches its bend near that spot
- Specialized
A white or pale circle in the sky that runs along the horizon when sunlight hits ice crystals
A circle near Earth's poles where the sun stays above or below the horizon for one day
- Specialized
An imaginary circle in the sky that goes through the point directly above you and down to the horizon
How Complete
6
8.3
210
1.8
- Specialized
126
3.9
78
2.0
16
4.4
Surface Forms
Etymology
Circle comes from the Latin idea of a 'ring' and the word circum meaning 'around', so to circle is to move 'around' something or go in a ring around it.