circle (redirected from circled)

*around someone or something 

1. enclosing someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; go ~; circle ~.) The white picket fence is around the house and the yard. Jimmy was crying loudly. A ring of children circled around him, singing "Happy Birthday."

2. near someone or something in this vicinity. (*Typically: be ~; hang ~; live ~.) How long have you been around here? I don't like people like that hanging around me.

See also: around

*in a vicious circle

Fig. in a situation in which the solution of one problem leads to a second problem, and the solution of the second problem brings back the first problem, etc. (*Typically: be ~; get [into] ~.) Life is so strange. I seem to be in a vicious circle most of the time. I put lemon in my tea to make it sour, then sugar to make it sweet. I'm in a vicious circle. Don't let your life get into a vicious circle.

See also: vicious

circle around (over someone or something)

[for a plane or a bird] to fly around above someone, something, or some place. The plane circled around over us for a few minutes and then went on. It circled around over the field.

See also: around

come full circle

Fig. to return to the original position or state of affairs. The family sold the house generations ago, but things have come full circle and one of their descendants lives there now.

See also: come, full

could fight a circle-saw (and it a-runnin')

Rur. eager to fight. He was so mad he could fight a circle-saw and it a-runnin'. She's a good watchdog. She could fight a circle-saw.

See also: could, fight

go (a)round in circles 

1. Lit. to move over and over on a circular path. The model plane went around in circles until it ran out of fuel. The oxen went around in circles, pulling along a beam that was connected to the millstone.

2. Fig. to act in a confused and disoriented manner. I've been going around in circles all day. The children have been going around in circles, waiting for you to arrive.

3. Fig. to keep going over the same ideas or repeating the same actions, often resulting in confusion, without reaching a satisfactory decision or conclusion. We're just going round in circles discussing the problem. We need to consult someone else to get a new point of view. Fred's trying to find out what's happened but he's going round in circles. No one will tell him anything useful.

See also: round

run around like a chicken with its head cut off and run (around) in circles

Fig. to run around frantically and aimlessly; to be in a state of chaos. (Alludes to a chicken that continues to run around aimlessly after its head has been chopped off.) I spent all afternoon running around like a chicken with its head cut off. If you run around in circles, you'll never get anything done.

See also: and, around, chicken, cut, head, like, run

run circles around someone and run rings around someone

Fig. to outrun or outdo someone. (Alludes to someone who runs fast enough to run in circles around a competitor and still win the race.) John is a much better racer than Mary. He can run circles around her. Mary can run rings around Sally.

See also: around, run

run in circles 

1. Lit. to run in a circular path. The horses ran in circles around the corral for their daily exercise. The children ran in circles around the tree.

2. and run around in circles Fig. to waste one's time in aimless activity. Stop running in circles and try to organize yourself so that you are more productive. I have been running around in circles over this matter for days.

See also: run

talk in circles

Fig. to talk in a confusing or roundabout manner. I couldn't understand a thing he said. All he did was talk in circles. We argued for a long time and finally decided that we were talking in circles.

See also: talk

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a vicious circle

a difficult situation that cannot be improved because one problem causes another problem that causes the first problem again I get depressed so I eat and then I gain weight which depresses me so I eat again - I'm caught in a vicious circle.

See also: vicious

come/go/turn full circle

if something or someone has come full circle after changing a lot, they are now the same as they were at the beginning My career has come full circle and I am back at the school where I started out as a teacher thirty years ago. In the meantime her opinions have gone full circle and she has decided to rejoin the party.

See also: come, full

go around/round in circles

if you go round in circles when you are discussing something or trying to achieve something, you do not make any progress because you keep going back to the same subjects or the same problems. I need some more data to work on, otherwise I'm just going round in circles. We can't go round in circles all day - someone will have to make a decision.

See also: around

go around/round in circles  also run around/round in circles

to use a lot of time and effort trying to do something, without making any progress We spent the whole day running around in circles looking for a document which everyone thought was lost but which wasn't.

See also: around

square the circle

to find a good solution to a problem when that seems impossible, especially because the people involved have very different needs or opinions about it Few poor countries can afford to look after their works of art properly, but neglect is unwise if you want to attract tourists. Thailand is attempting to square the circle.

See also: square

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circle the wagons

to stop communicating with people not in your group to avoid their ideas or beliefs Americans are feeling it is an especially good time to spend time with family, to circle the wagons.

Etymology: based on the custom of bringing wagons (vehicles pulled by horses) into a circle when they are being attacked

See also: wagon

come full circle

to return to the same situation or attitude you originally had I left publishing, tried teaching, and now I've come full circle back to publishing.

Usage notes: also used in the form bring something full circle: The film starts in the present, then moves to the past before bringing the story full circle back to the present.

See also: come, full

go (around) in circles

to be very active but not achieve anything His mind went in circles around the problem, but he couldn't seem to find a solution for it.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form talk in circles (speak a lot but without saying anything important): Every time the mayor speaks he seems to talk in circles.

Related vocabulary: around and around

square the circle

to solve an unusually difficult problem To get both sides to agree to anything at all meant we had to square the circle.

Related vocabulary: have it both ways

Etymology: from the problem in geometry (a branch of mathematics) of constructing a square that is equal in area to a circle

See also: square