Objective To investigate the impact of circular RNA Hsa_circ_0006948 (circ_0006948) on the malignant biological behavior of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Methods The expression of circ_0006948 in SCC-15, CAL27 and HIOEC cells was detected by qRT-PCR. The SCC-15 cells were transfected into pc-NC, pc-circ_0006948, si-NC and si-circ_0006948 respectively, and recorded as pc-NC group, pc-circ_0006948 group, si-NC group, and si-circ_0006948 group. The normal cultured cells were taken as NC group. CCK-8 method was applied to detect the cell survival rate. The cell cloning was detected by plate cloning method; Transwell cell assay was applied to detect cell migration and invasion. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry; and the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins was detected by Western blot. Results Compared with HIOEC cells, the expression of circ_0006948 in CAL27 cells and SCC-15 cells was obviously higher (P＜0.05), because of the highest expression of circ_0006948 in SCC-15 cells, SCC-15 cells were used for subsequent transfection experiments. Compared with NC group and pc-NC group, the cell survival rate, the number of clones, the numbers of migration and invasion, and the expression of N-cadherin, MMP-2, MMP-9 proteins in pc-circ_0006948 group were obviously higher (P＜0.05), the apoptosis rate and the expression of E-Cadherin protein were obviously lower (P＜0.05). Compared with NC group and si-NC group, the cell survival rate, the number of clones, the numbers of migration and invasion, and the expression of N-cadherin, MMP-2, MMP-9 proteins in si-circ_0006948 group were obviously lower (P＜0.05), the apoptosis rate and the expression of E-Cadherin protein were obviously higher (P＜0.05)Conclusion circ_0006948 is highly expressed in OSCC cells. Overexpression of circ_0006948 can promote the proliferation, cloning, migration and invasion of SCC-15 cells, and inhibit cell apoptosis. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of EMT