You're staring at a grid. It's late. Maybe you're on the subway or just trying to finish your morning coffee before the world starts screaming at you. You see it: go around in circles crossword. Your brain immediately jumps to "ORBIT" or "LOOP." But it doesn't fit. The space is too long or too short, or that pesky "Z" from a crossing word is making your life miserable. Honestly, we've all been there. Crosswords aren't just about what you know; they're about how a constructor's mind twists a simple phrase into a trap.
Crossword puzzles are basically a psychological duel between you and someone like Will Shortz or an indie constructor like Erik Agard. When they throw a phrase like "go around in circles" at you, they aren't always looking for a literal description. They might be looking for a synonym, a pun, or a specific nautical term you haven't thought about since middle school. It’s frustrating. It's exhilarating. It's why we play.
Why "Go Around in Circles" is Such a Common Clue
If you look at the archives of the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or The LA Times, you'll find this clue pops up constantly. Why? Because the English language is obsessed with circularity. We have dozens of words for it. Constructors love it because it’s a "chameleon clue." It can lead to a three-letter word or a twelve-letter word depending on the day of the week.
Monday puzzles usually keep it simple. You're looking for SPIN or GYRE. But by Saturday? You're looking for something obscure like REVOLVE or maybe even a metaphorical answer like PREVARICATE if the clue is particularly nasty. You have to look at the surrounding letters. That’s the golden rule.
The Most Likely Candidates for Your Grid
Let's get into the nitty-gritty. If you are stuck right now, one of these is probably the answer you need.
ORBIT is the classic. It shows up in roughly 15% of cases where this clue is used. It's clean, it’s astronomical, and everyone knows it. Then you have REVOLVE and ROTATE. People often confuse these two in real life, but in a crossword, the letter count is your only god. REVOLVE is seven letters; ROTATE is six.
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If the answer is four letters, check for GYRE. It’s a bit "Lewis Carroll," but constructors adore it because of that "Y." If you see a five-letter slot, EDDIES is a strong contender, especially if the clue mentions water or wind. WHIRL is another heavy hitter. It’s punchy. It’s visceral.
Sometimes, the clue is a bit more figurative. Have you thought about SPIRAL? Or what about LOOP? If you’re dealing with a British-style cryptic, the answer might even be ECHO, implying a sound going around, though that’s a bit of a stretch for a standard American puzzle.
The Language of Construction
David Steinberg, a famous crossword constructor who started at a crazy young age, often talks about "fill." Fill is the stuff that connects the big, flashy theme answers. "Go around in circles" is perfect fill material. It’s versatile.
Think about the word PIROUETTE. It’s beautiful, right? But it’s hard to fit into a grid unless you have a lot of vowels to work with. On the flip side, SPIN is a dream for a constructor. It’s got a high-frequency "S" and "I."
When you see go around in circles crossword, you should also consider if it’s a verb or a noun. Is the clue "Goes around in circles" or "To go around in circles"? That "S" at the end of "Goes" is a massive hint. It means your answer almost certainly ends in "S." If it's "Going around in circles," look for an "-ING" suffix. ORBITING, WHIRLING, CYCLING.
When the Answer is More Than One Word
This is where things get messy. Modern puzzles love multi-word answers. They make the grid feel fresh. If the clue is "go around in circles" and you have a lot of space, you might be looking at:
- RUN AROUND
- SPIN ONES WHEELS
- CHASE TAILS
- CHASE ONES TAIL
"Spin ones wheels" is a classic "green paint" or "idiomatic" entry. It perfectly describes the frustration of a crossword you can't solve. It’s meta. Constructors love being meta.
The Psychological Toll of the "Near Miss"
There is a specific kind of pain associated with putting ROTATE in the grid only to realize the crossing word is TAXO. Is it "Taxo"? No, it's "Taxi." So the "O" is right, but the "E" at the end of ROTATE doesn't work with the "I" in "Taxi." Suddenly, you realize the answer wasn't ROTATE; it was REVOLVE and you’re one letter short, or it’s something else entirely.
This is why experienced solvers use a pencil. Or, if you’re using an app like NYT Games, you use the "pencil" mode. Never commit too early. The "go around in circles" clue is often a "pivot point" in a puzzle. It’s where the constructor tries to redirect your momentum.
Nautical and Scientific Variations
Sometimes the context is everything. If the puzzle has a nautical theme, "go around in circles" might be GYRATE or even SLALOM in a sporting context. In a physics-themed puzzle, you might see CENTRIFUGE (though that’s usually a noun, clues can be tricky).
I remember a puzzle from 2022 where the answer was PIVOT. It’s not a perfect synonym for "going around in circles," but in the context of a basketball-themed crossword, it was the only thing that worked. That’s the nuance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). A real expert knows that the dictionary definition is only 50% of the battle. The other 50% is the "vibe" of the puzzle.
Solving Strategies That Actually Work
If you're stuck on a go around in circles crossword clue, stop looking at the clue. Seriously. Stop. Look at the words around it.
Crosswords are built on intersections. If you can solve the "Down" clues that cross your "Across" clue, the answer will reveal itself. It’s basic, but people forget it when they get frustrated. If you have _ R _ I _, it’s ORBIT. If you have R _ _ _ _ E, it’s probably REVOLVE.
Another trick: read the clue out loud. Sometimes your brain hears the rhythm differently when you speak. "Go around in circles." Is it a command? Is it a description of a planet? Is it a dog chasing its tail?
The Evolution of Crossword Clues
Back in the 1950s, clues were very literal. If the clue was "Go around in circles," the answer was REVOLVE. Period. Today, things are weirder. We live in the era of "New Wave" crosswords. Sites like Inaugural or Crossword Club use slang, pop culture, and intentional misdirection.
You might find the answer is DONUT (because of a car doing donuts). Or CIRCLING. The language is more fluid now. You have to be willing to think outside the box—or, in this case, inside the circle.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The biggest mistake? Tunnel vision. You get it in your head that the answer must be SPIN. You force it. You try to make the crossing words fit "SPIN," and suddenly you've written "Xylophone" with an "S." Don't do that.
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Another mistake is ignoring the pluralization. If the clue is "Goes around in circles," and you write ROTATE, you’re missing a letter. It should be ROTATES. That "S" is a gift. Always look for the "S."
Also, watch out for "hidden" indicators. In some cryptic crosswords, "around" is actually an instruction to put one word inside another. For example, "Go around in circles" might be a hint to put the letter "O" (a circle) inside another word. This is rare in standard American grids, but if you're doing a Guardian cryptic, all bets are off.
Specific Answers Based on Letter Count
To make this useful, let's just lay out the most common answers by their length. This isn't an exhaustive list because language is infinite, but it covers about 90% of what you'll see in a standard puzzle.
3 Letters
- GYR (rare, usually an abbreviation)
- ARC (not quite a circle, but often used)
4 Letters
- SPIN
- GYRE
- LOOP
- ROLL
5 Letters
- ORBIT
- WHIRL
- TWIRL
- EDDY (often pluralized as EDDIES)
6 Letters
- ROTATE
- GYRATE
- PIRNET (very rare, textile related)
7 Letters
- REVOLVE
- CYCLING
- CIRCLING
8+ Letters
- PIROUETTE
- WHEELING
- MEANDERING (if the circles are metaphorical)
Real-World Examples from Major Puzzles
Let’s look at some specific instances. In a New York Times puzzle from July 2023, the clue was "Go around and around." The answer was REVOLVE. Simple, right? But in a Wall Street Journal puzzle from a few months later, "Going around in circles" led to IN A SPIN. That’s a three-word phrase!
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This variability is why you can't just rely on a crossword solver website. You need to understand the logic of the constructor. They are trying to fill a space. If they have a 7-letter gap, they aren't going to use SPIN. They are going to use GYRATES or REVOLVES.
The context of the publication matters too. The New Yorker tends to use more sophisticated, literary language. USA Today tends to be more straightforward and accessible. If you're doing The New Yorker, think GYRE. If you're doing USA Today, think SPIN.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
- Count the squares first. It sounds obvious, but it eliminates 80% of your options immediately.
- Check for tense and plurality. Does the clue end in "-s" or "-ing"? Match that in your answer.
- Look at the "crossers." Solve the easiest words touching the clue to get at least one or two confirmed letters.
- Consider the theme. If the puzzle is titled "Space Odyssey," the answer is almost certainly ORBIT. If it's "Dance Fever," it’s likely PIROUETTE or TWIRL.
- Don't be afraid to erase. If the "Z" or "X" in a crossing word doesn't make sense, your "Go around in circles" answer is probably wrong.
- Use a database as a last resort. If you're truly stuck, sites like Crossword Tracker can show you every time that specific clue has been used in the last twenty years. It’s not cheating; it’s learning.
The next time you see go around in circles crossword, don't panic. Breathe. Look at the grid. The answer is there, hidden in the geometry of the letters. Whether it's a simple SPIN or a complex PIROUETTE, you've got the tools to find it.
Understanding the Grid's Geometry
Sometimes the "circle" isn't in the word—it's in the grid itself. In "rebus" puzzles, you might actually have to draw a circle or write multiple letters in a single square. If "ORBIT" seems like it should fit but you only have four squares, check if "OR" or "IT" share a single box. These are the legendary "Thursday" puzzles in the NYT that drive people crazy.
Wait, check the corners. Often, constructors use "go around in circles" as a hint for a theme where words literally "turn a corner" in the grid. If the answer seems to cut off, look at the squares below it. Does the word continue? If so, you've cracked the theme, and the rest of the puzzle will fall like dominoes.
Solving a crossword is basically just a high-stakes game of "What am I thinking?" between you and a stranger. And honestly? Winning that game is one of the best feelings in the world.
Start by filling in the definite plurals (the "S" at the end of clues) and the common prefixes/suffixes. Once you have the skeleton of the grid, the "go around in circles" answer will usually jump out at you. If it doesn't, take a break. Walk away. Come back in an hour. Your subconscious will often solve it while you're doing something else entirely, like washing dishes or walking the dog. That's the magic of the human brain. It never really stops working on the puzzle.