as in surrounding
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1
as in circling
to travel completely around
communication satellites encircling the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in encompassing
to form a circle around
immediately after announcing their engagement, the couple was encircled by their applauding friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encircling
Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The silhouette also included a slender strap encircling the ankle.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 15 Jan. 2026
For two days, Chinese warships and aircraft simulated a blockade of the global chip hub with live-fire exercises encircling the main island, while dozens of rockets struck waters near its northern and eastern ends on Tuesday.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
Live-fire activities would take place in five maritime and airspace zones encircling the island on Tuesday, according to information released by the command.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
The silk-crepe and chiffon dress features a gauzy pink, iridescent overlay and fuschia lining with a halterneck style top fastened with candy pink feathers, and more feathers encircling the hips.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
Astronomers have unveiled a stunning new gallery of dusty rings encircling young stars, revealing the intricate architecture of developing planetary systems.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 5 Dec. 2025
There is a lot of red—99 naval and coast guard vessels, to be precise, completely encircling Taiwan during PLA exercises last December.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The vents encircling the stand’s rounded top handle cooling.
—PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
The original Imperial Hotel, an icon of the encircling Ginza neighborhood, was constructed in 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright.
—Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The silhouette also included a slender strap encircling the ankle.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 15 Jan. 2026
For two days, Chinese warships and aircraft simulated a blockade of the global chip hub with live-fire exercises encircling the main island, while dozens of rockets struck waters near its northern and eastern ends on Tuesday.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
Live-fire activities would take place in five maritime and airspace zones encircling the island on Tuesday, according to information released by the command.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
The silk-crepe and chiffon dress features a gauzy pink, iridescent overlay and fuschia lining with a halterneck style top fastened with candy pink feathers, and more feathers encircling the hips.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
Astronomers have unveiled a stunning new gallery of dusty rings encircling young stars, revealing the intricate architecture of developing planetary systems.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 5 Dec. 2025
There is a lot of red—99 naval and coast guard vessels, to be precise, completely encircling Taiwan during PLA exercises last December.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The vents encircling the stand’s rounded top handle cooling.
—PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircling
Adjective
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Since then, the bustling market serves the surrounding and significant Latino community and others.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Stellarators use magnets with complicated shapes circling the outside of the system’s vacuum vessel to create all the magnetic fields needed to confine the fusion plasma.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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This comes as reports are circling on social media that women’s bodies are going missing and cannot be found.—
Sarah Baniak,
ABC News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The saints’ days are celebrated, the great days of history are celebrated, and they’re celebrated with this sort of enormous exuberance and deep investment that is somehow very, very touching, very embracing, and very inclusive.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Launched in 2011 and orbiting Jupiter since 2016, Juno was given an extended mission in 2021 that placed it on a new trajectory.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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However, the new measurements, courtesy of NASA's Juno spacecraft that is currently orbiting Jupiter, shaves about five miles (8 km) off the equator and about 15 miles (24 km) off at the poles.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So mature, his conviction, his instincts, his fearlessness, and to give something which is so different yet so connecting.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Over the coming years, a team of 57 scientists and local guides explored all the major rivers and tributaries of the Okavango Delta, traversing this vast landscape in dugout canoes, on motorbikes, on foot, and in armored vehicles.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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What consumers need is someone and something focused on the actual experience of traversing the fractured content universe.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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From the pews, those gathered joined musicians, clapping and raising their hands in the air to begin the service.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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So Garcia re-joined in tricky circumstances, and with a lot of expectation on his shoulders.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The fire started on the roof of an older medical office building and did not begin inside the attached main hospital building, officials said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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Each heavy truck with an attached plow is about $280,000.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircling. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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