surround

verb

sur·round | \sə-ˈrau̇nd

surrounded; surrounding; surrounds

Definition of surround

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a(1) : to enclose on all sides : envelop the crowd surrounded her

(2) : to enclose so as to cut off communication or retreat : invest entry 2

b : to form or be a member of the entourage of flatterers who surround the king

c : to constitute part of the environment of surrounded by poverty

d : to extend around the margin or edge of : encircle a wall surrounds the old city

2 : to cause to be surrounded by something surrounded himself with friends

surround

noun

Definition of surround (Entry 2 of 2)

: something (such as a border or ambient environment) that surrounds from urban centre to rural surround— Emrys Jones

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about surround

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Examples of surround in a Sentence

Verb

A wall surrounds the old city. They had the suspect surrounded. She was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of excited fans. There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the decision. His departure was surrounded by secrecy.

Noun

the vast, featureless surround of the desert was strangely appealing to him

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The film’s highly stylized aesthetic was inspired by the color scheme of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), which Argento also drew on for its mythic tone and its presentation of a young, virginal heroine surrounded by evil. — Aja Romano, Vox, "How Suspiria turns the color red into a plot point," 9 Nov. 2018 Set in a field of native grasses and wildflowers and surrounded by the Bridger Teton National Forest, the 6,407-square-foot home was designed by Carney Logan Burke to blend into its natural surroundings. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Mod mountain retreat asks $11.9M," 9 Nov. 2018 The model celebrated her 23rd birthday on Saturday night surrounded by friends like Bella Hadid, and everyone topped off their going out outfits with colorful pointy hats. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Kendall Jenner Wore a Tiny Paper Hat for Her 23rd Birthday," 5 Nov. 2018 In the first mile, you’re surrounded by tall, vibrant gold aspens, and at the end you will be greeted by all the shades of fall at 12,000 ft. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "The 15 Best Places to Go Hiking in the Fall," 28 Oct. 2018 Another instagram posted featured the happy couple kissing, surrounded by a lush forest. — Chrissy Rutherford, Harper's BAZAAR, "Karlie Kloss Shares More Photos From Private Wedding to Josh Kushner," 26 Oct. 2018 The 12-room, boutique hotel, Punta Caliza, is located in Quintana Roo, Mexico on Isla Holobox, a small, car-free island between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded entirely by nature. — Sienna Fantozzi, House Beautiful, "This Might Be The Best Hotel Pool We've Ever Seen," 1 Oct. 2018 Tap the first line (Android version) a few times and you’ll be taken to a screen with a giant P, surrounded by an animated and colorful series of circles. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "Android 9 Pie is here: What's new, what's awesome, and how to get it now," 6 Aug. 2018 Visitors, hurrying to their hotels or to the new stadium on the bank of the Volga River, would see a tidy town surrounded by seas of green grass and trees. — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, "Peeking Around Corners in the World Cup’s Provincial Cities," 14 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Farther down, on blocks that were once burned out, iron fences painted a shiny black surround brick and vinyl-sided townhouses built with the help of federal funds. — Ashley Southall, New York Times, "In a Changing South Bronx, Residents See New Jail as Step Backward," 2 Apr. 2018 Its sparkling light prettily speckles the surround as if brought about by its tinkling accompaniment. — Robert Greskovic, WSJ, "‘Peter Pan’ Review: A Modern Neverland," 11 July 2018 The wood surround was copied from a mantel in Wynkoop House, an 18th-century stone dwelling in upstate New York that inspired some of Whitson's architectural details. — Sarah Yang, House Beautiful, "Top Pin of the Day: A Classic and Comfortable Living Room," 24 Feb. 2014 Narvik Black trimmed the silver two-bar grille, front vents, headlight housing, fender badging, mirror caps, window surround, pillars, rear spoiler, liftgate, and liftgate badging. — Emma Jayne Williams, star-telegram, "Land Rover’s 5th-generation Discovery excels either on or off the beaten track | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 26 May 2018 For their installation, SCAPE filled the elegant surrounds of the pavilion with low-tech materials used to combat erosion, like bundles of willow branches (collected and used by local fishermen), coir logs, and concrete blocks. — Giovanna Dunmall, Curbed, "At Venice Architecture Biennale, U.S. pavilion tackles borders and citizenship," 31 May 2018 Changes include body-color grille surround and door handles; gloss-black grille and mirror caps; black roof rails, window trim, badging and Chevy bowties. — G. Chambers Williams Iii, Houston Chronicle, "2018 Suburban: SUVs looks great with Z71 Midnight Edition package," 30 Apr. 2018 As a result, the original fireplaces (there are a total of nine) had no marble surrounds, and crown molding and trim did not extend to the second floor. — Joan Walden, courant.com, "Property of the Week: 1093 Prospect Avenue, West Hartford," 5 Jan. 2018 Outlets at Anthem Seating, restrooms, a food court and lots of shopping surround this splash-play area, most suitable for younger children. — azcentral, "45 Phoenix area splash pads, parks and water features," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surround.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near surround

surround oneself with (someone or something)

Statistics for surround

Last Updated

13 Nov 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for surround

The first known use of surround was circa 1616

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More Definitions for surround

surround

verb

English Language Learners Definition of surround

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to be on every side of (someone or something)

: to move close to (someone or something) on all sides often in order to stop a person from escaping

: to be closely related or connected to (something)

surround

noun

English Language Learners Definition of surround (Entry 2 of 2)

: a border or an area that is around the outside edge of something

See the full definition for surround in the English Language Learners Dictionary

surround

verb

sur·round | \sə-ˈrau̇nd

surrounded; surrounding

Kids Definition of surround

1 : to enclose on all sides : encircle A fence surrounds the property.

2 : to be closely related or connected to … my actions will help to dispel this terrible myth of evil that seems to surround rats everywhere.— Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux