sur·round
sə-ˈrau̇nd 
surrounded; surrounding; surrounds
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 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
: something (such as a border or ambient environment) that surrounds
… from urban centre to rural surround.—
Emrys Jones
Emrys JonesExamples 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
CNN Money, 8 June 2026
This is for the incredible army of women that surround and uplift me.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Tim Jackson, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Creating a full-surround sofa layout might be your best bet.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for surround
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Verb
Her apartment offers exceptional views of the basilica, but the uncertainty surrounding the project has become a source of constant concern and has even prevented her from investing in renovations.
—CNN Money, 8 June 2026
This is for the incredible army of women that surround and uplift me.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Noun
The 2026 model comes loaded with Subaru’s latest EyeSight driver-assist technologies, including automatic emergency steering, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, reverse automatic braking and a surround-view monitor system.
—Tim Jackson, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Creating a full-surround sofa layout might be your best bet.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for surround
Cite this Entry
“Surround.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surround. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surround
1 of 2 verb
sur·round
sə-ˈrau̇nd
: to enclose on all sides : encircle
surround
2 of 2 noun
: something (as a border) that surrounds
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