CIRCUMSCRIBING Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

circumscribing

verb

present participle of circumscribe

as in limiting

to set bounds or an upper limit for circumscribed his enthusiasm so as not to make the losing side feel worse

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as in defining

to mark the limits of Lake Michigan circumscribes the city of Chicago on the east

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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 circumscribing In quick succession, the Court began circumscribing Congress’s ability to define rights and act on its constitutional imagination. — Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026 This wouldn’t be the first time the Court has avoided a head-on fight with the other branches, especially after Congress makes noise about circumscribing its authority. — Time, 14 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscribing

Verb

Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, getting plenty of sleep and eating a protein-rich diet will also keep your skin healthy.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026
Limiting offenses without also limiting defenses might allow the United States, in a crisis, to attempt a surprise attack on Russia or China and then rely on its powerful defenses to neutralize any surviving forces.

— Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of limiting

Verb

The plight of immigrants is one of the defining moral issues of our time, and more and more big name musicians are following the trail Parton blazed so long ago.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
By defining other civilizations as alien cultures, a civilizationist grand strategy might fuel antagonism rather than tolerate differences.

— Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of defining

Verb

In response to such concerns, some states are restricting screen time.

— Linda Jacobson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The California Department of Industrial Relations has tapped the state’s workers’ compensation fund to pay for internal investigations of its employees, a practice critics say violates state law restricting how that money can be spent.

— Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of restricting

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circumscribes

circumscribing

circumscription

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“Circumscribing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscribing. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of circumscribing

verb

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