Thesaurus results for VICIOUS CIRCLE

vicious circle

noun

variants also vicious cycle

Definition of vicious circle

as in cycle

a repeating situation or condition in which one problem causes another problem that makes the first problem worse We're trapped in a vicious circle of needing to borrow money in order to pay debts.

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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 vicious circle Talent marketplaces have the potential to break workforce development out of this vicious circle. — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2026 If people believed that inner joy was an index of personal redemption, then some might also read their own low mood as signs of their abandonment by God and fall into a vicious circle of self-reinforcing anguish. — Literary Hub, 10 Mar. 2026 Thanks to the vicious circle Beijing has created, the economy now routinely struggles to reach its annual growth target of five percent and is constantly battling deflation. — Dan Wang, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025 This vicious circle means that for electric-plane design, adding batteries to boost range isn't a viable strategy. — IEEE Spectrum, 24 May 2016 See All Example Sentences for vicious circle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious circle

Noun

Senate Democrats were expected to face a tough map this cycle, defending a number of battlegrounds with only a few opportunities to flip seats in areas Trump won by single digits in 2024.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Risch holds a commanding fundraising lead with $4 million-plus this election cycle, according to the latest federal campaign finance filings.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of cycle

Noun

People used to be able to fill up their tires for free at GetGo, but now the gas station chain charges $3.

— Barry Pintar, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Council voted 11-3 to endorse the boycott of the popular coffee chain Starbucks, pledging not to buy any of its products until the company finalizes a fair contract with its unionized baristas.

— Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of chain

Noun

Connecticut’s two continuums of care have received about $100 million in annual grants for decades, according to Fox.

— Maia Nehme, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
At Crystal Bridges, however, the house is considered within a wider continuum of American art — connecting what came out of the country’s ground with what its artists and designers imagined from it.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of continuum

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vicious circle

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“Vicious circle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious%20circle. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of vicious circle

noun

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