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
By Thursday morning, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.
—
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Imagine bullfights in Beijing, Chinese conquistadors capturing Constantinople for Spain, and a Habsburg Empire that completely encircled the globe.
—Big Think, 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
In Ukraine, Gerasimov said that Russian forces had encircled large numbers of Ukrainian soldiers around Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, and were advancing in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Yet there is a reason why Kinmen remains to this day ruled by Taipei—some 140 miles away—despite being encircled on three sides by the PRC.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
This remote site, encircled by an impressive wall spanning nearly 600 meters, can be viewed without the crowds found at more popular sites.
—Jen Richt, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Officials and executives fitted themselves around a long conference room table in a government building, while reporters and camera operators encircled them.
—Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Imagine bullfights in Beijing, Chinese conquistadors capturing Constantinople for Spain, and a Habsburg Empire that completely encircled the globe.
—Big Think, 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
In Ukraine, Gerasimov said that Russian forces had encircled large numbers of Ukrainian soldiers around Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, and were advancing in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Yet there is a reason why Kinmen remains to this day ruled by Taipei—some 140 miles away—despite being encircled on three sides by the PRC.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
This remote site, encircled by an impressive wall spanning nearly 600 meters, can be viewed without the crowds found at more popular sites.
—Jen Richt, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Officials and executives fitted themselves around a long conference room table in a government building, while reporters and camera operators encircled them.
—Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircled
Verb
-
On Friday, Jay Staph of Just Baseball circled Toronto as a potential landing spot for Zac Gallen, the former All-Star and third-place Cy Young finisher who is coming off his worst season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Up ahead, two men argued, their shouts and curses drowning out the hum of a helicopter that circled in the distance.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tucked away in the lowlands of the Adirondacks, a few miles south of Lake George, Saratoga Springs, New York, is surrounded by some of the most striking landscapes in all of Upstate.—
Cat Sposato,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The former politician and businessman died while surrounded by family at age 84, his relatives reported.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Melissa's mysteries capture interest Hurricane scientists watched with a familiar feeling of dread as Melissa traversed the Caribbean.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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The 20-minute ride with Balloons Over Rum flies high above terrain once traversed by Bedouins and used as a backdrop for films like The Martian.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In recent years, there's been a big push to reduce space debris by setting up tracking systems, improving spacecraft and launcher designs, and setting up protocols so that defunct satellites are properly decommissioned before being orbited or sent into a graveyard orbit.—
David Szondy
October 26,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The event orbited around a panel, moderated by TIME’s editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs, that discussed how AI could shape the future of fashion—particularly from a customer’s perspective.—
Tharin Pillay,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Encircled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircled. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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