sur·round
sə-ˈrau̇nd 
surrounded; surrounding; surrounds
1
a(1)
: to enclose on all sides : envelop
the crowd surrounded her
(2)
: to enclose so as to cut off communication or retreat : invest entry 2
b
: to form or be a member of the entourage of
flatterers who surround the king
c
: to constitute part of the environment of
surrounded by poverty
d
: to extend around the margin or edge of : encircle
a wall surrounds the old city
2
: to cause to be surrounded by something
surrounded himself with friends
: something (such as a border or ambient environment) that surrounds
from urban centre to rural surround—
Emrys Jones
Emrys JonesExamples of surround in a Sentence
Verb
A wall surrounds the old city.
They had the suspect surrounded.
She was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of excited fans.
There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the decision.
His departure was surrounded by secrecy.
Noun
the vast, featureless surround of the desert was strangely appealing to him
Recent Examples on the Web
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The scene is surrounded by restaurants, hotels and public beach access.
—Jay Cannon, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025
Dana Afana, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The Chinese also presented the movie with 12 channels of sound, meaning the surround speakers got an extra workout that added to the visceral charge of the chase sequences and shoot-outs.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surround
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Verb
The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The scene is surrounded by restaurants, hotels and public beach access.
—Jay Cannon, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
While some neighborhoods have gotten attention, the progress has been uneven and isn't reaching the same critical mass of development and redevelopment success that has benefited the downtown area and its surrounds.
—Dana Afana, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The Chinese also presented the movie with 12 channels of sound, meaning the surround speakers got an extra workout that added to the visceral charge of the chase sequences and shoot-outs.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surround
Cite this Entry
“Surround.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surround. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surround
1 of 2 verb
sur·round
sə-ˈrau̇nd
: to enclose on all sides : encircle
surround
2 of 2 noun
: something (as a border) that surrounds
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