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
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
While encircled outside his locker Saturday, disappointed in the result but proud of his team’s effort, Coker answered questions about his career game.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
When Schwartzstein returned this fall from a brief paternity leave, quarterbacks were now encircled by 36 dots that individually could change from red to green to reflect where the blocking was poor or strong.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
But while Provo has become developed, its neighbors, Parrish assured me, remain timeless idylls, their empty interiors encircled by endless beaches fringed with casuarina trees.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
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
While encircled outside his locker Saturday, disappointed in the result but proud of his team’s effort, Coker answered questions about his career game.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
When Schwartzstein returned this fall from a brief paternity leave, quarterbacks were now encircled by 36 dots that individually could change from red to green to reflect where the blocking was poor or strong.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
But while Provo has become developed, its neighbors, Parrish assured me, remain timeless idylls, their empty interiors encircled by endless beaches fringed with casuarina trees.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircled
Verb
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Which neighborhood is being circled by ICE, which neighbor is being yanked from their house and needs observers documenting ASAP!—
Angela Pelster,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Two helicopters circled overhead.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Saint Ann’s, an elite private school that charges roughly $60,000 a year in tuition and is known for high Ivy League acceptance rates and attendees that include celebrities, artists and Wall Street executives, has been surrounded by scandal for nearly two years.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The makeshift detention center, surrounded by chain-link fences, had detainees sleeping on brown bunk beds under bright, perpetual fluorescent lights.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As part of the demonstration, the G1 traversed a snowfield while autonomously tracing the outline of a Winter Olympics emblem measuring approximately 186 metres by 100 metres.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
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But even across the EP’s brief 18 minutes, Hunt makes clear that there are still corners in this world ripe for discovery, mysterious doorways looming in the landscape, waiting to be traversed.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Per The Monroe News, all three women are credited with working on the 1962 Friendship 7 mission, during which astronaut Glenn orbited the Earth, settling the score with the Soviets, who had accomplished the feat roughly one year prior.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircled. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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