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
No other spacecraft has probed beneath the clouds encircling Jupiter the way that Juno has, or has imaged our Solar System’s largest planet so comprehensively and over such extended periods of time.
—
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
The move would allow Israel to encircle Palestinian population centers, further undermining the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
The top three seal options feature a right whale, a chickadee encircled by turkey feathers, and a star with other elements like water and hills.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
The raid, part of ongoing Israeli operations in the West Bank, adds to the tension in Qalqilya, a city encircled by the Israeli separation barrier and frequently targeted in military incursions.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
The move would allow Israel to encircle Palestinian population centers, further undermining the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
The top three seal options feature a right whale, a chickadee encircled by turkey feathers, and a star with other elements like water and hills.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
The raid, part of ongoing Israeli operations in the West Bank, adds to the tension in Qalqilya, a city encircled by the Israeli separation barrier and frequently targeted in military incursions.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
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Quasi-moons differ from temporary mini-moons that occasionally orbit Earth such as 2024 PT5, which circled the planet for two months in 2024 and could be an ancient fragment that was blasted off of our primary moon.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
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Pole dancers circled installations for night-long performances that wrapped around the venue interior.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Prior controversy surrounding its usage can largely be traced back to a 2002 study, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), the results of which have largely been refuted.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
15 Sep. 2025
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Note the rose gold surrounds of the analog-style gauges.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The project also calls for several banquet rooms, as well as a 6-foot-wide waterfront walkway, open to the public during business hours, that traverses the perimeter of the property.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
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In two seasons, released in 2022 and 2025, the show traverses the Star Wars galaxy to show what means people employ to consolidate power and what risks others take to stop empire.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The system in question is the double star V Sagittae located around 10,000 light-years from Earth, containing a white dwarf stellar remnant and its victim companion star, which orbit each other roughly twice every Earth day.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The same can be said of the moon, which instead orbits Earth.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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