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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encircle
Some people lamented on social media the empty spaces around a pond that used to be seamlessly encircled by flowering pink blossoms.
—
ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The sapphire, encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds, was designed by the famed House of Garrard.
—Jessica Gibbs, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The facility, which was built inside a nuclear weapons base long known to the CIA, is encircled by three layers of security fencing.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for encircle
ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The sapphire, encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds, was designed by the famed House of Garrard.
—Jessica Gibbs, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The facility, which was built inside a nuclear weapons base long known to the CIA, is encircled by three layers of security fencing.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
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Officers flooded the area Wednesday night, with patrol cars lining the roadways and a police helicopter circling the park overhead.—
Naveen Dhaliwal,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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But doing things the easy way has been unbecoming of the Ducks, who fell behind by two goals, circled the wagons to force overtime but then stumbled in the bonus session, 4-3, off Marco Rossi’s OT winner.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Associated retail and student housing will likely be part of the surrounding area.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Savannah Louie sat on a log, surrounded by tiki torches and silent camera crew members, holding hands with her cast-mates, one on either side.—
thehustle.co,
thehustle.co,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hale traverses mountain trails, excavates court records, and reflects on his family’s roots in the region to examine the unexpected connections between the two events.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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At least two vessels that have traversed the strait have paid Iran fees in Chinese yuan to guarantee safe passage, analysts from Lloyd's List Intelligence said in a recent report.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The trip broke the record for farthest space flight accomplished by humans and gave the scientists aboard the spacecraft a chance to test critical systems within Orion, including the ship's life support system, maneuverability, its heat shield, and the first toilet to ever orbit the moon.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
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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,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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