circle the/one's wagons
idiom
chiefly US, informal
: to gather a group of people together in order to protect them from being attacked
—usually used figuratively
Reporters tend to circle the wagons whenever the media are attacked for bias.
Examples of circle the/one's wagons in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Republicans, meanwhile, seemed to circle the wagons around Hegseth, defending his character and his ability to lead the massive agency.
—
The Hill Staff, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025
After the Hindenburg Research mess in early 2023, India Inc. managed to circle the wagons.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
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The Hill Staff, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025
After the Hindenburg Research mess in early 2023, India Inc. managed to circle the wagons.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Circle the/one's wagons.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circle%20the%2Fone%27s%20wagons. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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