1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

enclosing 1 of 2

adjective

variants also inclosing
as in encircling

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

enclosing

2 of 2

verb

variants also inclosing
present participle of enclose
1
as in housing
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers dogs who spend the day enclosed in small cages

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in surrounding
to form a circle around in a show of support, the women rushed to enclose their distraught friend

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in wrapping
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 enclosing
Verb
Nearby is The Birth, 2026, a ziggurat partly woven from bags of fertilizer, enclosing a film installation about the assembly of drones, shot in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 Like the work of other Palestinian artists of his generation, Mansour’s paintings helped carry the dreams and testimony of his people beyond the walls enclosing Gaza and the West Bank. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Homes can be visually inspected for compliance from the outside, and enclosing the ground level area for living space after the home is constructed and approved for occupancy would draw a reverse work order. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Soon after, more people gathered, standing behind the sad but necessary fence enclosing the resilient tree, out of respect, curiosity or simple gawking. — David Dickstein, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2026 The flexible design allows the suit to move with the body rather than enclosing the legs inside a rigid frame. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 The animal farm had a two-meter-high fence enclosing it, half of it underground. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 22 June 2026 Always leave one side open and ensure ventilation when enclosing outdoor equipment. — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 15 June 2026 While this may seem extreme, enclosing your porch is a fail-proof way to keep birds out of it. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enclosing
  1. surrounding
  2. housing
  3. encircling
  4. wrapping
  5. embracing
  6. encasing
  7. enveloping
  8. attached
Adjective
  • Some critics of the budget cuts argue that the bar may be high but merited, given what the museum has to offer Brussels in terms of art, direct and indirect employment, and revitalizing the surrounding, low-income neighborhood.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Connecticut farmers have been watching how surrounding states have handled the bright red flying bug and adjusted their farms accordingly.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • The high-rise residential building had been housing a large number of Palestinian families displaced by the war between Hamas and Israel.
    — Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The site now housing 111 employees is part of the bank’s plan for growth in the Charlotte region.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of housing
Verb
  • Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • There are no bleachers, so spectators set up lawn chairs encircling the field.
    — Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • After making his final start on May 14, White was diagnosed with a left shoulder capsular sprain, which is a tearing or stretching of the thick tissue wrapping around his throwing shoulder joint.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Godshalk encouraged us to try banding the river cane—a technique involving tying or wrapping groups of stems for decorative purposes.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of wrapping
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of embracing
Verb
  • Little Miner’s version isn’t so much a riff as an homage, with a flour tortilla encasing queso sauce, tortilla chips, chipotle aioli, lettuce, tomato, raw onion, sour cream and a choice of proteins.
    — Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The spigots serve as injection ports, where crews can pump grout behind the tunnel wall, with the goal of coating and encasing the entire tunnel lining under the Newtown Creek in a waterproof layer, filling any cracks along the way.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
Definition of encasing
Verb
  • Ma, like Lucas, evokes dreamlike scenography that heightens and shifts emotion through enveloping atmospheres.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Save this for cold weather to truly savor its rich, enveloping smokiness.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of enveloping
Adjective
  • The nearly half-acre lot includes a deck with a hot tub and a patio above the attached garage.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Interior amenities include a movie theater, a game room with a wet bar, an office with a fireplace, an attached guest suite, and a lavish primary suite with dual dressing rooms, a sizable seating area, and a private balcony.
    — Architectural Digest, Architectural Digest, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of attached

Browse Nearby Words

encloses
enclosing
enclosure
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enclosing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enclosing. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All