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

The encircling coil is the next major component being put through testing. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026

Al-Mughayyir, a town of 3,000 increasingly encircled by Israeli settlements, is about seven miles from Deir Jarir — the trip can take over an hour due to military checkpoints. — Suheir Hashimeh, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026

Shamsan said fighting had intensified across the province as the Houthis deployed reinforcements to multiple fronts, with the city encircled on all four sides. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

Phil Ochs said that the last of the idle rich and the folk singers are in a mansion being encircled tighter and tighter. — Madeline Ffitch, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 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