1
as in circled
to travel completely around
communication satellites encircling the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in surrounded
to form a circle around
immediately after announcing their engagement, the couple was encircled by their applauding friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of encircled
There’s real, sweat-inducing tension to scenes where Esther, alone at home with her children, is encircled and menaced by mobs of men preying on the easiest of targets.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
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
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
Within moments, a small crowd of counter-protesters encircled him.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
The young woman’s remains were found encircled by about 10 dingoes, Australia's native wild dogs, on the beach north of Maheno Wreck, Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie previously announced in a press conference.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Scherr’s teammates encircled her until trainers were able to get to her.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Jan. 2026
Being encircled by fans who might not be so happy about your team’s reversal of fortune can add to the anxiety.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Some thought the mystery bore a direct relation to the green tangle that tightly encircled the two dozen shacks balanced precariously between the rain forest and the yellowish waters.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
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
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
Within moments, a small crowd of counter-protesters encircled him.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
The young woman’s remains were found encircled by about 10 dingoes, Australia's native wild dogs, on the beach north of Maheno Wreck, Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie previously announced in a press conference.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Scherr’s teammates encircled her until trainers were able to get to her.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Jan. 2026
Being encircled by fans who might not be so happy about your team’s reversal of fortune can add to the anxiety.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Some thought the mystery bore a direct relation to the green tangle that tightly encircled the two dozen shacks balanced precariously between the rain forest and the yellowish waters.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircled
Verb
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The crafty, sublimely skilled Minnesota Wild defenseman took a drop pass from Matt Boldy and circled out high before cutting sharply into the high slot.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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Playing her instrument with melodic flair, Gaffey—who was also dressed by Chavarria—circled through the room in a red version of Montero’s backless number.—
Avon Dorsey,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The 17 treatment rooms are named after America’s Cup champions, there’s an indoor pool surrounded by loungers that feels like the deck of a cruise ship, and the Boiler Room is the spa’s high-end fitness center stocked with Technogym equipment.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Like most spaces in the attractive abode, the bedrooms spill out to the park-like grounds, which are showcased by a pool and raised spa surrounded by a sundeck, along with a fire pit conversation area.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In that same period, the total distance traversed by ships in the Arctic increased 111%.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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The design is meant to reorient us, to take us on a trail walked not by humans but traversed and carved by elephants, a creature still misunderstood, vilified and hunted for its cataclysmic-like ability to reshape land, and sometimes communities.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But as the title character and a partial avatar for Williamson — who had similarly spent his own teen years dreamily pining and aspiring to be a filmmaker — Dawson was the boy-next-door pillar around which the show orbited.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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Some 350 light-years away, the V1298 Tau system features an infant sun-like star, just 23 million years old, orbited by four planets on compact orbits close to their star, and all of which are seen to transit.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircled. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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