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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encircle
This year’s flights encircle the country and include loitering patterns, those in 2025 appear to just pass by, Ian Petchenik of Flightradrar24 told USA TODAY.
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Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 15 May 2026
By using drones to interdict supply lines from a distance, Ukrainian forces can impose the effects of a siege without physically encircling a city, redefining how an opponent can be isolated in modern warfare.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Heck, even the names in the Ring of Honor encircling the stadium between its decks will be vulnerable to being cloaked by FIFA branding or advertising signage.
—Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Chopard’s charming—and chiming—Beehive Clock, a table clock standing nearly a foot tall with seven tiers of rounded glass segments encircling a multi-level mechanical movement, stood out among the new releases for the same reason the Nautilus desk watch (Ref.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 15 May 2026
By using drones to interdict supply lines from a distance, Ukrainian forces can impose the effects of a siege without physically encircling a city, redefining how an opponent can be isolated in modern warfare.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Heck, even the names in the Ring of Honor encircling the stadium between its decks will be vulnerable to being cloaked by FIFA branding or advertising signage.
—Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Chopard’s charming—and chiming—Beehive Clock, a table clock standing nearly a foot tall with seven tiers of rounded glass segments encircling a multi-level mechanical movement, stood out among the new releases for the same reason the Nautilus desk watch (Ref.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
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Decades after Julian’s vanishing there, the band and various hangers-on recall eerie incidents both in and out of the house—rooms full of occult literature; pub full of haunting photographs—as well as the glimmering stranger circling the Orpheus-esque Julian.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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Nowhere is the ham-handed effort more evident than in Texas, where a blend of culture war grievance and incel-targeting rage have circled the sharp-witted but mild-mannered Talarico, whose campaign is shaping up to be a fundraising juggernaut.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant have long kept details surrounding the creative aspect of their relationship private, until now.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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The conflict and uncertainty surrounding it have continued to ripple through energy markets, with Exxon delivering a warning Thursday that oil inventories are on track to reach dangerously low levels in the coming weeks, forcing prices to spike and curbing demand.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
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It will be designed to operate for a year, traversing hundreds of miles across the lunar terrain.—
Kris Van Cleave,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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Named after a Norwegian ship that traversed the North and South poles at the turn of the 20th Century, Fram2 sought to pay homage to its namesake with a pioneering polar voyage of its own.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
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These allies aim to launch twin prototype satellites early next year to test their models and the deployment of super-speed inter-satellite links for an orbiting machine learning lab.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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Hainan Island hosts China’s coastal space launch center on its eastern shore, with dozens of missions to orbit, the Moon, and Mars since 2016.—
Bridget Borgobello
May 30,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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