girdling

verb

present participle of girdle
1
as in wrapping
to encircle or bind with or as if with a belt trees girdled the campus, essentially hiding it from view wire girdling the bundle of firewood

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circling
to travel completely around an asteroid belt that girdles the inner planets of the solar system

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in surrounding
to form a circle around the rings that famously girdle the planet Saturn

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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 girdling Also, the rootball should be inspected for circling or girdling roots. — Larry Figart, Florida Times-Union, 14 Jan. 2026 Removing this layer restricts the tree from moving water up from the roots or nutrients back down, a process known as girdling. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025 The new levee begins at the city of San Mateo’s border and runs below the San Mateo Bridge before girdling the city’s borders. — John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for girdling
  1. wrapping
  2. circling
  3. surrounding
  4. traversing
  5. encircling
  6. orbiting
Verb
  • By wrapping antiquated infrastructure in agentic interfaces, these workers can unlock near-native operational efficiency without a risky, catastrophic core system overhaul.
    — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Grande is also set to play Montreal before wrapping the run with a series of dates in London this August.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of wrapping
Verb
  • The evening of the shoot, there was frequent hum of tourist helicopters circling the island, and a few party boats blasting music, which threatened to put a damper on the plans.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
  • Minutes later the pike was just under the surface, circling close to the boat.
    — Jack G. Mell, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
Definition of circling
Verb
  • The council would then examine the details surrounding the change before passing an ordinance expanding those voting rights.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • The design is open and clean, with a deliberate choice to draw the surrounding scenery deep into the interior of the home.
    — Bridget Borgobello July 03, New Atlas, 4 July 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • From the Higgs to the Next Frontier The road to the FCC remains long, and Europe has been traversing it for years.
    — Florencia Canelli, Scientific American, 1 July 2026
  • Spending a year in California versus a month traversing small town America is a big difference.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • Cheers roared from the crowd encircling the concrete arena as two skateboarders slammed into each other at top speed.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
  • Styled by Brad Goreski, Moore wore a custom cobalt blue Self Portrait gown with an oversized bow encircling the hips, falling into a train.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 May 2026
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • For a generation of millennial founders and the professionals orbiting them, the most consequential business development of the year is happening nowhere near an office, a conference badge, or a LinkedIn message.
    — Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been probing for atmospheres around other rocky worlds orbiting red dwarfs, such as those in the TRAPPIST-1 system.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of orbiting

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girdles
girdling
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Cite this Entry

“Girdling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/girdling. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on girdling

Nglish: Translation of girdling for Spanish Speakers

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