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
Imagine bullfights in Beijing, Chinese conquistadors capturing Constantinople for Spain, and a Habsburg Empire that completely encircled the globe.
—
Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Others, particularly in North Carolina, remained year-round lakes encircled by sandy rims.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
One or two sat on the floor, encircled by newspaper articles, glancing back and forth as if trying to decode a message.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Discussing the status of Russia’s ground war in Ukraine, Gerasimov told Putin that Kremlin forces had encircled the city of Kupyansk in the northeast Kharkiv region.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Others, particularly in North Carolina, remained year-round lakes encircled by sandy rims.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
One or two sat on the floor, encircled by newspaper articles, glancing back and forth as if trying to decode a message.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Discussing the status of Russia’s ground war in Ukraine, Gerasimov told Putin that Kremlin forces had encircled the city of Kupyansk in the northeast Kharkiv region.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
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As seen in a now-viral clip circling social media, a woman was spotted in the stands at Lambeau Field holding a sign created in full support of the retired NFL star.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
11 Nov. 2025
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This was a Lakers team ripe for the taking in one major way — LeBron James was out due to injury, much to the disappointment of the Lakers fans dressed in purple and gold who circled this game on the calendar months ago and comprised at least half the crowd.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The porous polymer coating that reflects up to 97 percent of sunlight and radiates heat into the air, keeping surfaces up to six degrees cooler than the surrounding air even under direct sun.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
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And Woll is seemingly in a good place after returning to the Leafs, taking part in multiple high-tempo practices, and on Friday, speaking to the media for the first time surrounding his absence.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Lake-effect snow is anticipated as cold air traverses the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, with several inches of accumulation and hazardous travel possible, especially near Lakes Erie and Ontario.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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In the wild, macaques can traverse miles of novel terrain each week and socialize through grooming, but in many laboratories they are isolated in barren cages no bigger than a washing machine.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Astronomers can only glimpse them edge-on, and most past spacecraft have orbited close to the sun's equatorial plane, leaving its poles largely unexplored.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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Imagine, for a moment, being back in 1968, watching three NASA astronauts on their way home to Earth after orbiting the moon for Apollo 8.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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