surround

verb sur·round \ sə-ˈrau̇nd \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of surround

transitive verb

1 a (1) : to enclose on all sides : envelop

the crowd surrounded her

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

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

See surround defined for English-language learners

See surround defined for kids

Examples of surround in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of surround from the Web

Ryan made no direct mention of controversies surrounding President Donald Trump.

— rick pearson, chicagotribune.com, "In Chicago speech, Paul Ryan says polarization is fueled by the internet, not 'one particular person or personality'," 11 May 2018
Controversy surrounding recent medical marijuana zoning battles continued to broil Friday inside Phoenix City Hall and across the street at Maricopa County Superior Court.

— jessica boehm, azcentral, "Phoenix is investigating medical-marijuana zoning case allegations, officials say," 11 May 2018
The Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program has plenty of talent at the wing over the past few seasons, but have struggled to surround players like Tres Tinkle and Stephen Thompson Jr. with a solid supporting cast.

— andrew nemec, OregonLive.com, "Antoine Vernon, Canadian PG, commits to Oregon State Beavers," 11 May 2018
While Raising a Toddler While her title has not been confirmed by Guinness, there has been some controversy surrounding Llorente’s form.

— blake bakkila, Health.com, "This Fit Mom Did 1,490 Burpees in One Hour and Broke a World Record," 10 May 2018
The controversy surrounding black light tattoos Not everyone on Instagram is as big of a fan of Newell and black light tattoos, though.

— devon abelman, Allure, "What to Know About UV and Black Light Tattoos — Including Why I Got One," 10 May 2018
And while that and the should-he-race-or-sit controversy surrounding Chris Froome will dominate the headlines, a small but significant piece of news merits attention.

— joe lindsey, Outside Online, "Finally, a Legit Option to Watch the Top Bike Races," 4 May 2018
In campaigning for reelection, the Philadelphia Democrat has stayed silent about the controversy surrounding his treatment of employees.

— Philly.com, "Stacked against him: A crowded field for Pa.'s No. 2 job," 4 May 2018
Unfortunately, this isn't the only controversy surrounding Pompeo's $20 million payday.

— devon elizabeth, Glamour, "Ellen Pompeo: I Caught 'Flak' For Discussing My $20 Million 'Grey's Anatomy' Salary," 2 May 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.

Origin and Etymology of surround

Middle English, to flood, inundate, from Anglo-French surunder, from Late Latin superundare, to overflow, from Latin super- + unda wave; influenced in meaning by ⁵round — more at water

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1616

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

surround Synonyms

Synonyms

circle, compass, embrace, encircle, enclose (also inclose), encompass, environ, gird, girdle, ring, wreathe;

beset, besiege, entrench (also intrench), invest, swarm;

surround

noun

Definition of surround

: something (such as a border or ambient environment) that surrounds

from urban centre to rural surround
—Emrys Jones

See surround defined for English-language learners

Examples of surround in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of surround from the Web

Products include tubs, showers, bath surrounds, decks and replacement windows, among many others.

— elise riley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tundraland inspires employees to achieve more," 4 May 2018
Some of her live sounds — including gentle whispers and back-of-the-throat clicks — were blended with prerecorded tracks in a surround-sound miasma.

— seth colter walls, New York Times, "Two Downtown Luminaries, Still Blazing," 20 Apr. 2018
The living room has a fireplace with a chrome surround, and the center-island kitchen is awash with red-tinted stone.

— neal j. leitereg, latimes.com, "Ex-Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh is ready to field offers for Newport Coast home," 8 Mar. 2018
The race has a substantial economic impact on the surround area as well.

— wes judd, San Francisco Chronicle, "Why do runners love Death Valley?," 21 Mar. 2018
The substantial grille along with the muscular hood gave my Passat a wide, planted stance, while the window surround, LED headlights with jewel-like LED Daytime Running Lights and taillights added to the premium nature of the eye-catching exterior.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "VW upgrades the Passat’s base engine for 2018, adds sporty new GT version | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 10 Mar. 2018
With six-piece surround-sound speakers, the Theater Package has front L/R, center, and two surround speakers in addition to a subwoofer.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "This Home Theater System Is Audio Perfection for Cheap," 2 Nov. 2017
It's set around Detroit, but the surrounds (at least in the first few episodes available for review) don't contribute much to the story.

— lorraine ali, latimes.com, "NBC's 'Good Girls' aren't bad enough," 26 Feb. 2018
Besides the 20-inch wheels, our All-Terrain also featured a body-color grille surround and dark-chrome exterior trim.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "GMC’s 2018 Acadia crossover offers All-Terrain version for off-road jaunts | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 24 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of surround

1893

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

surround Synonyms

Synonyms

ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, environment, environs, medium, milieu, setting, surroundings, terrain;

Related Words

location, place, position, space;

backdrop, background;

element;

situation, status;

geography, habitat;

SURROUND Defined for English Language Learners

surround

verb

Definition of surround for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of surround for English Language Learners

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

SURROUND Defined for Kids

surround

verb sur·round \ sə-ˈrau̇nd \

Definition of surround for Students

surrounded; surrounding

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

Word Root of surround

The Latin word unda, meaning “wave,” gives us the root und. Words from the Latin unda have something to do with waves. To undulate is to move up and down like a wave. To inundate is to cover with a flood of waves. To surround, or encircle on all sides, is to enclose as if by waves. To abound is to be plentiful, like waves in the ocean.