1
as in to circle
to travel completely around
communication satellites encircling the earth
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2
as in to surround
to form a circle around
immediately after announcing their engagement, the couple was encircled by their applauding friends
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encircle
The polar jet stream is a ribbon of air that encircles the Northern Hemisphere at high altitudes and determines atmospheric pressure patterns.
—
Evan Bush, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Instead of forming a concentric pattern around Katmai, the ash encircled Novarupta.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Our beautiful encircling topography of mountains and hills is a bowl ready-made by ancient plate tectonics to be filled with smoke and smog.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Gold murals encircle the main dining room, telling the history of Napa’s great grapes, from Zinfandel to Cabernet Sauvignon.
—Annemarie Dooling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Evan Bush, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Instead of forming a concentric pattern around Katmai, the ash encircled Novarupta.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Our beautiful encircling topography of mountains and hills is a bowl ready-made by ancient plate tectonics to be filled with smoke and smog.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Gold murals encircle the main dining room, telling the history of Napa’s great grapes, from Zinfandel to Cabernet Sauvignon.
—Annemarie Dooling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
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The 10-day mission involves circling the moon in a flyby manner (and not landing on the surface) and, in doing so, establishing the record for the farthest that humans have ever ventured into space.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Financial regulators are already circling.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Video showed police forming a barrier between plainclothes ICE officers and surrounding crowds.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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One skeleton estimated at 10,000–12,000 years old was surrounded by evidence of bonfires, possibly indicating funerary rituals involving light.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Only a few ships with ties to China, Pakistan and India have traversed through after Iranian officials authorized vessels from non-hostile nations.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
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The Rock Creek Loop traverses approximately seven miles of ravines, creeks, subtropical forest, and small footbridges.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before being tapped for the administrator role, as a private citizen, Isaacman commissioned two flights to orbit worth tens of millions of dollars aboard SpaceX capsules.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
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In addition, the telescope has detected more distant and less common populations, including roughly 380 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) — icy bodies orbiting beyond Neptune.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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