How to Use figure eight in a Sentence

figure eight

noun
  • The skater traced a figure eight on the ice.
  • Wrap rubber bands in a figure eight around the knobs to keep them closed.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 June 2026
  • And those differences in speed mean the sun makes the figure eight.
    — Katie Peek, Popular Science, 21 Dec. 2020
  • With your chest forward, make a figure eight, looping around the blocks.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 3 Jan. 2024
  • Five cars heading straight for us, skidding and swerving in crazy figure eights.
    — Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
  • The frogs are blue-black with a bright yellow ring around their head and back, which may be broken or joined to form a figure eight.
    — Michael Allen, Science | AAAS, 13 June 2018
  • Sit in the stretch for 10 seconds, moving your hands in small figure eights for balance.
    — Jenna Dedić, Redbook, 25 May 2017
  • Take in as much of the land as possible by combining hiking trails to form a figure eight around the park.
    — Madeline Bilis, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Using a whisk over low heat, make figure eights in the egg and vinegar mixture, banging the whisk against the sides of the pan.
    — Bill Buford, The New Yorker, 8 May 2020
  • The fourth, twisted like a figure eight, leaned against the sandstone wall as if protective of the others.
    — Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 8 Nov. 2022
  • Another lineman drill has prospects complete a figure eight around two hula hoops.
    — Rj Kraft, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Even after moving to a bench role, Green scored in double figures eight times in 20 games.
    — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, 11 June 2018
  • This nub moves in an elliptical motion, making a figure eight.
    — Suzannah Weiss, Glamour, 3 Oct. 2022
  • To tie a figure eight, also known as a Flemish bend, simply pass the free end of a line over itself to form a loop.
    — Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2019
  • On her left hand is a diamond ring on which Brian Boitano could do figure eights.
    — Stephanie Mansfield, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The retrace figure eight is the most secure and efficient way to connect the end of a rope to a climbing harness.
    — Chris Brinlee Jr., Outside Online, 16 Mar. 2016
  • The drone then starts swerving haphazardly, cutting figure eights and zigzags in the air.
    — Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023
  • The routing is an out-and-back figure eight, with the front nine being flat and the back nine ascending and then descending the canyon.
    — Michael Williams, GQ, 2 Apr. 2018
  • Thick fluids form straight lines when being spread rapidly across a canvas, but will form loops and squiggles and figure eights if poured slowly.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Dec. 2018
  • Tie the vine to the stake in a figure eight pattern, looping twine around the stake, crossing in the middle, and looping around the tomato vine.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Take a two-foot length of webbing—essentially flat rope—and tie the two ends together with a stopper knot such as a figure eight.
    — Andrew Northshield, Popular Mechanics, 2 Dec. 2018
  • Imagine if, instead of turning left at a stop light, a robotaxi decided to blast the stereo and start doing figure eights.
    — Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Flying in figure eight patterns maximizes the kite’s pulling force and therefore energy yield.
    — Aylin Woodward and, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2022
  • Leslie herself was gliding around like an ice skater doing figure eights, making sure everyone had something to drink and someone to talk to.
    — Lucinda Rosenfeld, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
  • Chamberlain portrays the efforts as a figure eight, in which each sector supports one another.
    — Danielle Bernabe, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2021
  • Dean, who started 21 games as a freshman last year, leads the team in blocks with 21 and has scored in double figures eight times this season.
    — Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, 9 Feb. 2018
  • Our first exercise is to do a large figure eight in a box to test timing, breaking, accelerating and cornering all at once.
    — Chuck Tannert, Popular Mechanics, 7 Feb. 2019
  • Three of the four satellites will maintain an inclined geosynchronous orbit that traces a north-south asymmetrical figure eight over Japan.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Aug. 2017
  • Start with a stripe down the middle, then mow in a figure eight to get that half-dark, half-light tuxedo look, or, my preferred method, loop around like a Zamboni until you're done.
    — CBS News, 1 May 2026
  • The home’s unconventional shape is based on the figure eight, with the plans influenced by solar paths and climatic behavior.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'figure eight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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