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
Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Below in the courtyard where the big choppers had been loading, the headlights from the cars and trucks surrounding the parking lot were still on to light the way for the choppers.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
The hard drive also features surround cooling, letting the hard drives perform better in the long run.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surround
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Verb
Carr expanded the unit last year to include additional prosecutors and investigators serving Augusta and surrounding counties, part of a broader push to target trafficking networks statewide.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Below in the courtyard where the big choppers had been loading, the headlights from the cars and trucks surrounding the parking lot were still on to light the way for the choppers.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
In reimagining the 1950s-style entry, Misso opted for simplicity, ditching traditional trim around the white oak door in favor of a brick surround painted Benjamin Moore’s White Dove.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
The hard drive also features surround cooling, letting the hard drives perform better in the long run.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surround
Cite this Entry
“Surround.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surround. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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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