1
as in to limit
to set bounds or an upper limit for
circumscribed his enthusiasm so as not to make the losing side feel worse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 circumscribe
Yet these men’s behavior was tightly circumscribed, at least in appearance.
—
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Pausing or circumscribing an economic decoupling would give U.S. sanctions maximum bite and bolster deterrence.
—Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Imagine circumscribing topics of conservation with yellow police tape around them – topics that almost instantly trigger conflict.
—Lisa Pavia-Higel, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025
The junta has pledged to stage elections within a year, even though its capacity to hold a vote—even a sham one—seems hugely circumscribed, both by war and by the March earthquake.
—Ye Myo Hein, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumscribe
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Pausing or circumscribing an economic decoupling would give U.S. sanctions maximum bite and bolster deterrence.
—Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Imagine circumscribing topics of conservation with yellow police tape around them – topics that almost instantly trigger conflict.
—Lisa Pavia-Higel, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025
The junta has pledged to stage elections within a year, even though its capacity to hold a vote—even a sham one—seems hugely circumscribed, both by war and by the March earthquake.
—Ye Myo Hein, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumscribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscribe
Verb
-
Duncan used to manage the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and successfully argued the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court case that limited contraceptive access under the Affordable Care Act.—
Kate Broad
July 23,
Literary Hub,
23 July 2025
-
The decision further limits a 90-year-old high-court precedent that was aimed at protecting the independence of certain regulatory agencies.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
Betts spent the All-Star break — his first healthy break when he wasn’t named an All-Star since 2015 — back in the Nashville, Tenn., area, working out at a facility and continuing his deluge of swings that have defined his season.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
20 July 2025
-
Whether the pending head of editorial content reports to Anna Wintour, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, or some yet-unknown successor, Vogue’s uphill battle requires earning influence with audiences no longer trusting it to define trends.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
Trump’s pressure campaign on U.S. universities has ranged from slashing billions of dollars in research funding to restricting international students.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
15 July 2025
-
If developers prevail in using it to seize the reins of local growth management, this new law could make counties and cities more vulnerable to storms, potentially handcuffing local leaders from restricting development in flood plains or on fragile coastlines.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Instead, violence that had mostly been confined to the northeast spread.—
Benjamin Ezeamalu,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
-
In one study, researchers induced postnatal stress in a mouse (confining her, forcing her to swim) and separated her from her pups at unpredictable intervals.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circumscribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscribe. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share