encircle

verb

en·​cir·​cle in-ˈsər-kəl 

en-

encircled; encircling; encircles

transitive verb

1

: to form a circle around : surround

2

: to pass completely around

encirclement

in-ˈsər-kəl-mənt 

en-

noun

Synonyms of encircle

• circle
• traverse
• orbit

Examples of encircle in a Sentence

A crowd of reporters encircled the mayor.

communication satellites encircling the earth

Recent Examples on the Web

Lining the outer cell membrane, at the base of the cilia, were simple structures, each encircled by a single membrane. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 27 July 2026

Champions Nigeria enter with 10 stars encircling the crest on their jerseys, having won 10 of the previous 13 WAFCONs, and looking to add an 11th. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 26 July 2026

The area along the Cumberland River where more than 100 people once lived is now encircled by fences and no-trespassing signs. — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 21 July 2026

The stone is halo-set on a pavé band—jewelry lingo for having a ring of small white diamonds encircling the stone and covering the band. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enserclen

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for encircle

• cercle
• circle
• preopercle
• semicircle
• tubercle

Kids Definition

encircle

verb

en·​cir·​cle in-ˈsər-kəl 

1

: to form a circle around : surround

2

: to go completely around

encirclement

-mənt 

noun