1
as in to circle
to travel completely around
communication satellites encircling the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to surround
to form a circle around
immediately after announcing their engagement, the couple was encircled by their applauding friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encircle
That probe dates to early 2025 and is just one of several investigations that have encircled Newsom, his office and his family, according to two sources cited by MS NOW.
—
Dan Mangan, CNBC, 15 June 2026
The only hope to save our army was to retreat across the Gowanus marsh, but our army needed time, and an elite force of British regulars was quickly advancing to cut off this sole escape route and to fully encircle and destroy the Continental Army.
—Paul Callahan, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026
Somewhere in Uzbekistan’s Kyzylkum Desert, between dusky rose sands and infinite stars, yurts encircle a dancing campfire.
—Shilo Urban, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
The Chicago Outerbelt, a 210-mile trail that encircles the city, intrigued our copy editor.
—Diane Penningroth, Midwest Living, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Dan Mangan, CNBC, 15 June 2026
The only hope to save our army was to retreat across the Gowanus marsh, but our army needed time, and an elite force of British regulars was quickly advancing to cut off this sole escape route and to fully encircle and destroy the Continental Army.
—Paul Callahan, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026
Somewhere in Uzbekistan’s Kyzylkum Desert, between dusky rose sands and infinite stars, yurts encircle a dancing campfire.
—Shilo Urban, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
The Chicago Outerbelt, a 210-mile trail that encircles the city, intrigued our copy editor.
—Diane Penningroth, Midwest Living, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
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Burnham has circled a potential seat near Manchester for months.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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For more than a decade, MAVEN circled Mars in a highly elliptical orbit, measuring particles escaping into space and observing how the atmosphere responded to solar activity.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Having grown up in the Philippines and surrounded by the music her parents loved, Leus saw an opportunity to pay homage to the artists who influenced her life while also raising awareness of Filipino music and artists from both older and newer generations.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
19 June 2026
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The hype surrounding his 2027 MLB draft status will certainly continue to build.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Thursday saw the highest number of vessels traversing the strait since April, according to marine intelligence firm AXSMarine.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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While the Deschutes River Trail makes traversing the area particularly leisurely, travelers can take advantage of Veo, a bike-sharing program that makes getting around quick and fun.—
Sierra Vandervort,
Travel + Leisure,
20 June 2026
Verb
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The administration's other telescopic projects include SPHEREx, which launched in 2025 with the goal of conducting a widespread infrared spectral survey of the sky, and the James Webb Space Telescope, which launched in 2021 and now orbits the sun with a distance of one million miles from Earth.—
Eleanor Jacobs,
PEOPLE,
21 June 2026
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The power race is moving to orbit.—
Brigitte Bren,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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