encompasses

verb

present tense third-person singular of encompass
1
as in surrounds
to form a circle around a necklace of sapphire-blue lakes encompasses the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in includes
to have as part of a whole textbooks on American history are now likely to encompass its social history as well as its political and military history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wraps
to surround or cover closely a fog of mystery has long encompassed this fraternal organization, which is known for its secret rituals

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 encompasses CineGouna now encompasses Funding; Forum, a program of panels, masterclasses and industry discussions; Market, which connects filmmakers with companies and institutions; and Emerge, its initiative for young and emerging talent. — Essie Assibu, Variety, 24 Oct. 2026 Salazar is locked in a competitive campaign against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez to represent Florida’s 27th Congressional District, which encompasses Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 Etereo, a sky bar and restaurant whose spectacular 360-degree panorama of the city encompasses the Duomo, Galleria, Castello Sforzesco and the Porta Nuova skyscrapers. — Jaclyn Degiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, not across India as a whole, Diwali encompasses different regional traditions and customs. — Sujata Assomull, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026 Historically, groundwater has typically declined more in the Lower Colorado River Basin, which encompasses California, Arizona and Nevada. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 The highest segment encompasses the proverbial 1%, who average about $700,000 in annual inflow. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Instead, Hugo says the case encompasses a much broader body of work stemming from compositions the two created during nearly 50 studio sessions between 2019 and 2021. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026 Los Angeles–area cultural institution the Huntington, which encompasses an art museum, library, and botanical garden, has announced this year’s gifts to its art collection from the Huntington’s Art Collectors’ Council. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encompasses
  1. surrounds
  2. includes
  3. wraps
  4. encircles
  5. involves
  6. encloses
  7. contains
  8. envelops
Verb
  • Avani completed the project after his death in Mumbai and Delhi, photographing, at the same time, Raghu’s old image and the space that surrounds it today.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • All of this excitement surrounds a 1,000-pound—give or take—pumpkin that graces the stoop of a brownstone in the Brooklyn neighborhood each year.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrounds
Verb
  • The arthropod group includes animals that are without a backbone or any bones at all, strictly speaking, their bodies being encased in a ringed, exterior tegument and having legs and, sometimes, wings.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Matsui, 82, faces progressive challenger and Sacramento Councilmember Mai Vang for the 7th Congressional District, which includes Sacramento’s downtown core, Elk Grove, Placerville and El Dorado Hills.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of includes
Verb
  • The Aegean Dragon maki ($23), for example, combines shrimp tempura with criollo relish and harissa, while the Kataifi ($33) wraps tuna and melon in shredded pastry.
    — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Nolan Interiors wraps individual cushions Over at Martha Stewart, Blythe Copeland recommended the Magic Sofa Covers from Nolan Interiors for households that want a cushion-by-cushion fit.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of wraps
Verb
  • In May, the Georgia Department of Transportation closed a major section of the road, which encircles the city of Atlanta and connects much of the greater metro area, sending both intra- and interstate traffic through the city.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The paint color that encircles the wallpaper is important, but Chloe Redmond Warner says the bread should be the least exciting part of this sandwich.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircles
Verb
  • According to Maxx Leekley, Production Lead & Inventory Manager at Chocolate Fish, the application process involves more than just roasting up a good bean.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The battery manufacturing process involves many steps that could be made more energy-efficient.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of involves
Verb
  • The larger ring also improves sensitivity because optical gyroscopes can detect smaller rotations when the light encloses a greater area.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The building encloses an acre of private landscaped courtyard, which the apartment’s airy living area overlooks.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of encloses
Verb
  • If the brain’s primary goal is to reduce prediction error, this way of being contains a trap.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The origin story of Silicon Valley contains two contradictions.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of contains
Verb
  • The hotel’s unprecedented vantage point envelops guests in panoramic views of Melbourne and the ocean lapping at Port Phillip Bay.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • His talent has nothing to do with his genes, and yet his reverence for his parents, Philip and Mimi, envelops him in soulful humility.
    — Olivia Wilde, Time, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of envelops

Browse Nearby Words

encompassed
encompasses
encompassing
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Cite this Entry

“Encompasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encompasses. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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