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
Yale Review Examples of encircle in a Sentence
Verb
A crowd of reporters encircled the mayor.
communication satellites encircling the earth
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 June 2026
Blackened with volcanic rock and encircled by towering waves, the tumultuous scenery makes a vivid psychic landscape for So Help Me God, a rambling spell of ’70s-era soul and exuberant orchestral folk-pop that sweeps through the fog of heartbreak and the clarity of self-discovery.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
In the center of Washington Park is a lagoon, which once weaved in a crescent shape around a peninsula in a configuration that annoyed boaters, but now encircles a central island called Bynum Island.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for encircle
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Verb
Departing from traditional geographical or chronological arrangements, the show aims to take advantage of the layout of the galleries, which encircle a courtyard and allow multiple entry points.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 June 2026
Blackened with volcanic rock and encircled by towering waves, the tumultuous scenery makes a vivid psychic landscape for So Help Me God, a rambling spell of ’70s-era soul and exuberant orchestral folk-pop that sweeps through the fog of heartbreak and the clarity of self-discovery.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
In the center of Washington Park is a lagoon, which once weaved in a crescent shape around a peninsula in a configuration that annoyed boaters, but now encircles a central island called Bynum Island.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encircle. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
encircle
verb
en·cir·cle
in-ˈsər-kəl 
1
: to form a circle around : surround
2
: to go completely around
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