With so many people around he naturally became a bit nervous.
Source: tatoeba (1554)
Around
/əˈɹaʊnd/
Synonyms for "around" (148 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (30)
aboutagainaliveall aboutall overall roundall throughalmostalong towardanticlockwiseany which wayanyhowanywiseapproximatelyat close quartersat handat randombackbackward
Adverb(4 words)
Preposition(1 words)
Noun(6 words)
about mathabout origin rotation phraseabout plantsabout tenall aroundapproximate result
Strong matches (44)
byby way ofcircaclaspcling toclockwisecloseclose aboutclose at handclose byclose uponcounterclockwisedangleencirclingenclosingencompassingenvelopingevery which wayeverywhenceeverywhere
Show 20 more words
everywhitherexistentexistingextantfar and widefast byfollowfrom every quartergo withhang abouthaphazardhaphazardlyhardhard byhead over heelsheels over headhelter-skelterhere and therehereabouthereabouts
Adverb(1 words)
close to
Noun(1 words)
curiosity about science
Related words (74)
hoverhuddlehugin a circlein a spinin a whirlin all directionsin circlesin every quarterin reversein spitting distancein the neighborhoodin the neighborhood ofin the vicinityjust aboutjust around the cornerlivingmarchnearnear at hand
Show 37 more words
near enough tonear uponnearaboutnearaboutsnearbynearlyneighbourhoodnighnigh aboutnot faron all sideson every sideonly a stepoverpassing bypassing throughrandomrandomlyroughlyroundround aboutround and roundsomewhere aboutstand bysurroundingtailgatethereaboutthereaboutsthroughthroughoutupwards ofviawiddershinswithin callwithin earshotwithin hearingwithin reach
Noun(5 words)
Adverb(7 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: about, about, about, about math, about origin rotation phrase.
- Sentence evidence is available for around, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "around".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "around"
Keep "around" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "around" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "around", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "around" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesadverbapproximate adverbdegree wordlocational adverblocative prepositionlocative relationprepositionspatial adverb
More specific
13 entriesapproximate amountapproximate timecircacirclingcircuitencirclementloopnearby areaorbitingperimeterproximate locationroughlysurrounding
Collocations
7 entriesaround fiftyaround herearound tenaround the clockaround the corneraround the housearound the world
Derivations
1 entriesSample sentences
54 total sentences available.
This will be a good souvenir of my trip around the United States.
Source: tatoeba (1586)
Blind people sometimes develop a compensatory ability to sense the proximity of objects around them.
Source: tatoeba (1965)
The world doesn't revolve around you.
Source: tatoeba (2101)
Showing 4 of 54 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "around"?
Closest matches include about, about, about, about math, about origin rotation phrase.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "around"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.