square the circle

Idioms  

1. Try to do the impossible, as in Getting that bill through the legislature is the same as trying to square the circle. This idiom alludes to the impossibility of turning a circle into a square. John Donne may have been the first to use it (Sermons, 1624): “Go not thou about to square either circle (God or thyself).”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

square the circle

They square the circle of Swift masterminding a full-scale trolling of media and fans while simultaneously hosting a cotton-candy celebrity circus.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Is there a way for Mr. Warsh to square the circle?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

But the group’s vagueness as it tries to square the circle of its own positions has fueled suspicion.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2024

It was a financial vehicle to square the circle.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2023

Let any one square the circle, and persuade his friends, if he and they please: let him print, and let all read who choose.

From A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II by David Eugene Smith