encloses

verb

variants also incloses
present tense third-person singular of enclose
1
as in encases
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers dogs who spend the day enclosed in small cages

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in surrounds
to form a circle around in a show of support, the women rushed to enclose their distraught friend

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in envelops
to surround or cover closely the house was enclosed by a high hedge that shielded it from public view

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of encloses Native palms and trees are drawn to the property’s edge, forming a living barrier that encloses without isolating. — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Sitting unassumingly on a city plaza, the spruce structure encloses a windowless cylinder of silence. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026 The chicken embryo is embedded in the membrane that encloses the yolk, and the tension on the membrane provided by the yolk is needed for the embryo to develop properly. — ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026 For the runner housing, which encloses the turbine, the team 3D printed a mold and then cast the final component in fiberglass. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026 This process continues for decades until eventually, one day, immune mediators rupture the cap that encloses the plaque. — Mary J. Scourboutakos, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encloses
  1. encases
  2. surrounds
  3. envelops
  4. houses
  5. encircles
  6. wraps
  7. includes
  8. shrouds
Verb
  • The plastic that encases laundry pods dissolves and rinses out with the excess water.
    — Katelyn Chef, Southern Living, 18 June 2026
  • The faux hair encases her locs, allowing the blonde to be the focal point of the look.
    — Larry Stansbury, InStyle, 25 May 2026
Definition of encases
Verb
  • With Harry's anticipated return to the UK this week, much interest surrounds the very public royal rift and many are wondering if the brothers will reunite.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Biddinger hopes the shrine at Queen of Heaven will help diminish the stigma that still often surrounds suicide.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of surrounds
Verb
  • The script, likewise, is often a little on the nose, often saying out loud what ought to be subtext and undercutting the rich sense of mystery that envelops the film right up until the big reveal.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 July 2026
  • The One&Only’s prime location in the V&A Waterfront offers the best of both worlds - close enough to all the attractions of the Waterfront as well as the city, but still envelops you in a blissful bubble of privacy like only a resort hotel can.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026
Definition of envelops
Verb
  • The upper floor houses a food hall selling local specialties like lampredotto (tripe sandwiches) and schiacciata (a Tuscan flatbread).
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
  • Data loss via staff cuts Widespread staff cuts starting in early 2025 across the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the CDC, crippled much of the agency’s data collection and dissemination.
    — John Kubale, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Definition of houses
Verb
  • The butterfly encircles Larsson's eye, with its wings spanning the whole area from her inner brow to well past its tip.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026
  • In the center of Washington Park is a lagoon, which once weaved in a crescent shape around a peninsula in a configuration that annoyed boaters, but now encircles a central island called Bynum Island.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of encircles
Verb
  • While every room has a private pool with amazing views, don’t miss the resort’s stunning main pool that wraps around a central garden.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
  • The deal that puts a brand in 4,000 stores gets its final validation not in a boardroom but in a line that wraps around a booth in New Orleans.
    — Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of wraps
Verb
  • Especially not when their pregame preparation includes having to try to block out an international uproar.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • The signature quilted exterior includes four more pockets, so everything is within reach.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 7 July 2026
Definition of includes
Verb
  • To understand why that shrouds a black hole in mystery, consider how no signal can travel faster than light.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 26 June 2026
  • Secrecy shrouds the guest list, although photos of John Legend and the Beckhams at Argentaia have popped on social media.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
Definition of shrouds

Browse Nearby Words

enclosed
encloses
enclosing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encloses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encloses. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on encloses

Nglish: Translation of encloses for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All