orbits 1 of 2

noun

plural of orbit
as in loops

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orbits

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of orbit
as in circles
to travel completely around the moon orbits the Earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 orbits
Noun
The plan represents a departure for Europe’s top satellite makers, which have traditionally focused on large, complex spacecraft in high orbits, but the industry has been disrupted by Starlink’s small, relatively cheap, low-orbit machines. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025 Canadian and American researchers simulated satellite orbits in low Earth orbit and generated a metric, the CRASH Clock, that measures the number of days before collisions start happening if collision-avoidance maneuvers stop. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026 The kick stage will be able to take big payloads from LEO to higher-energy orbits — for example, up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kg) to geostationary orbit, a popular hangout for spy, communications and weather satellites that lies 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 June 2026
Verb
Much of our social life, our ways of making and sharing a world, orbits the face. — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 As the planet orbits the sun, that tilt continues to point in the same direction. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 17 June 2026 As Earth orbits the sun, the Northern Hemisphere is currently tilted most directly toward the sun. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 After tracking Krem's crew across the galaxy, Kara finally catches up with the Brigands on a hostile planet that orbits both a green and a yellow sun. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026 Starlink is a constellation of satellites that orbits Earth at around 340 miles, which is much closer than other geostationary satellites, according to the company’s website. — Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026 The loss of communication triggered contingency plans for engineers to try to restore a link with MAVEN, which orbits Mars more than 200 million miles from Earth. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026 Should the luminiferous ether exist, then scientists reasoned that as the Earth orbits the sun at around 66,000 miles per hour (106,216 kilometers per hour), our planet should be moving through the ether, which had been deemed to be stationary. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orbits
  1. loops
  2. circles
  3. circuits
  4. traverses
  5. paths
  6. rings
  7. trajectories
  8. pathways
Noun
  • Leaders should identify where bottlenecks crept back in, restore psychological safety around small failures, and rebuild the feedback loops that make frequent, low-risk deployment feel sustainable.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Rounding out the trio is a take on the Air Max 95 Neon with orange substitutions on its Big Bubble heel unit and eyestay loops and a green and orange gradient on the outsole’s shank.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 30 June 2026
Definition of loops
Verb
  • The gas giant circles its star at an unexpectedly close distance—about 50 times nearer than the Earth’s orbit around the sun.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026
  • Chapter 1 Randy Fields stalks through the newsroom, circles my desk and sits across from me.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
Definition of circles
Noun
  • If either of those circuits sides with the Tax Court’s functional test, a formal circuit split will emerge, creating the classic recipe for Supreme Court review.
    — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • Then, looking at the amp rating of your circuits (most laundry appliances require a 15–30 amp circuit).
    — Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
Definition of circuits
Verb
  • Like Orton’s prior work, The Ground Above traverses some tricky emotional terrain.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 29 June 2026
  • On July 6, the route traverses Tilden Regional Park and Briones Regional Park before finishing at Heather Farm Park.
    — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Definition of traverses
Noun
  • Some of those places have her crossing paths with new characters played by Wanda Sykes and Ice-T, among others.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
  • For finance professionals, the findings suggest that employers who invest in meaningful on-the-job development and clear growth paths can gain a competitive edge in attracting and keeping talent in an increasingly demanding and data-driven function.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 July 2026
Definition of paths
Verb
  • In fact, the only thing that rings true is how the Three Lions end up exiting the tournament.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • But don’t tell that to winger Timothy Weah, who could be in line for his first start of the tournament as Pochettino rings the changes to keep his players fresh for the round of 32.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 25 June 2026
Definition of rings
Noun
  • There exists no equivalent repository—legal or otherwise—of motion trajectories for joints.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The beverage’s roots go back to 1565, when the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade route began between Mexico and the Philippines, permanently altering both countries’ culinary trajectories.
    — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of trajectories
Noun
  • Senate Bills 1144 and 1140 required highway districts to prioritize vehicle traffic and barred them from narrowing streets to make room for bike lanes and pedestrian pathways, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
    — Hali Smith July 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026
  • Regional leaders should use those results and current labor-market data to improve or discontinue pathways that no longer lead to viable work.
    — Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of pathways

Browse Nearby Words

orbiting
orbits
orbs
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Cite this Entry

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

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Nglish: Translation of orbits for Spanish Speakers

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