encircle

1 of 2

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

encirclement

2 of 2

noun

en·​cir·​cle·​ment "mənt 

plural -s

: the act or action of encircling, surrounding, or encompassing

the encirclement of the globe by an airplane

the encirclement of a wound by scar tissue

specifically : the policy of one or more countries of gradually enveloping or isolating another country

ridden by the nightmare of encirclement

—Yale Review

Synonyms of encircle

Verb

• circle
• traverse
• orbit

Examples of encircle in a Sentence

Verb

A crowd of reporters encircled the mayor.

communication satellites encircling the earth

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The butterfly encircles Larsson's eye, with its wings spanning the whole area from her inner brow to well past its tip. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026

In the 1940s, the Queen switched rings, and began wearing a ladylike large pearl, encircled with diamonds. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026

In a recent, first-hand look in Spring Grove Cemetery in Hartford, Sportman quickly spotted mounds of dirt under dense overgrowth that encircle three-quarters of the hole at the gravesite of Sgt. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026

While most people enjoy eating the arils after separating them from the bitter white membrane that encircle them, other parts of the fruit can also be used to make juice or extracts. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English enserclen

First Known Use

Verb

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