around
Encircling on all sides
Around‘s main idea can be found in the word’s origin, which is the word round: it refers to the area forming a circle or perimeter around a point.
From here it soon came to mean on all sides and then throughout.
If you have to go around something, it presents a physical or notional obstacle that is in your way.
When abstract nouns and verbs are used with around the suggestion is of a basis or center for something: the meetings tend to center around financial matters; she has some issues around her popularity.
At small distance
- closeNearby or to shut
- nearShort distance away
- vicinityNearby surrounding area
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
adjacent · local · approximate · roughly · about · nearly · approximately · thereabouts
Close but not exact
- roughlyIn approximate terms
- aboutConcerning or approximately
- circaApproximately, for dates
- ballparkSports venue or estimate
estimate · more-or-less · nearly · loosely · imprecise · somewhere · ish · guesstimate
Surround on all sides
- encompassInclude within bounds
- envelopSurround and cover fully
- borderOuter edge or limit
- frameSupporting outer structure
ring · perimeter · wrap · encase · girdle · hem · fringe · periphery
Gift or current moment
alive · active · surviving · remaining · current · ongoing · prevalent · widespread
Rightward circular motion
- counterclockwiseRotating leftward from above
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
- indirectNot straight or immediate
circuitous · winding · meandering · shortcut · alternate · reroute · u-turn · return
nearby
At small distance
neighborhood · adjacent · local · approximate · roughly · about · nearly · approximately · thereabouts · ballpark
approximately
Close but not exact
ballpark · estimate · more-or-less · nearly · loosely · imprecise · somewhere · ish · guesstimate
spin
Rapid rotation around axis
pivot · swivel · twirl · whirl · gyrate · circle · spiral · orbit · axis · wheel
encircle
Surround on all sides
frame · ring · perimeter · wrap · encase · girdle · hem · fringe · periphery · outline
present
Gift or current moment
existing · alive · active · surviving · remaining · current · ongoing · prevalent · widespread · everywhere
clockwise
Rightward circular motion
- counterclockwiseRotating leftward from above
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
indirect · circuitous · winding · meandering · shortcut · alternate · reroute · u-turn · return · backtrack
- locationhere, there, place, position, location
- location wordshere, there, where, north, south
- prepositionsabove, about, across, after, along
- adverbs of direction/mannerforward, backward, sideways, upward, downward
- approximationsabout, approximately, roughly, almost, nearly
- positionsabove, behind, below, beside, between
- turn aroundRotate one hundred eighty degrees
- around the cornerVery close in time/space
- look aroundObserve one's environment
- turned aroundReversed one's orientation
- go aroundMove past by circling
- around the worldEncircling the entire planet
around the world, around the corner, around-the-clock, around the clock