1
as in to circle
to travel completely around
communication satellites encircling the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encircle
The rock was encircled by a whopping 58 more pink diamonds, plus one half-moon diamond on either side.
—
Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
But Assad assured his aides that regime forces were coming from the south to encircle and defend the capital.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Its head doesn’t resemble the shape of a skull, like most other humanoids, but instead a cylinder with a flat face encircled by a ring of light.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The rehaut features deep-blue Tambour markings and modern numerals on a crisp white background, encircling a 24-hour GMT scale at a lower level.
—Thor Svaboe, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
But Assad assured his aides that regime forces were coming from the south to encircle and defend the capital.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Its head doesn’t resemble the shape of a skull, like most other humanoids, but instead a cylinder with a flat face encircled by a ring of light.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The rehaut features deep-blue Tambour markings and modern numerals on a crisp white background, encircling a 24-hour GMT scale at a lower level.
—Thor Svaboe, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
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Smartphone makers have over the years gradually infused software with more AI tools—like the ability to search for something just by circling it on screen or erasing unwanted objects from photos.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, the Padres’ Jase Bowen circled the bases.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Billionaire Larry Ellison helped lift his son’s deal with his vast wealth and ties to Trump and Republicans, exploiting regulatory uncertainty surrounding Netflix.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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An end to an overblown row As finicky and technical as the topic of compression ratios may be to the casual F1 fan, the furore surrounding their policing in the last two months has been a perfect example of F1 politicking.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As Mesidor traverses the field at Bommarito Performance Systems in Aventura, there’s a part of him that wants to be alongside everyone else who does wind sprints in preparation for their 40s.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
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Wake up to another day traversing the large island or just enjoying your campsite by the beach.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
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The mission will neither land on the moon nor orbit it.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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