as in encircled
to form a circle around
she was surrounded by cheering fans within moments of scoring the winning goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of surrounded
Best of all is the installation-style curation, with paintings surrounded by clusters of artifacts from the same period.
—
Clodagh Kinsella, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Now surrounded by trendy cafés selling matcha lattes, his boutique is filled to the brim with hunting jackets, tuxedos, dress shoes and tweed caps.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
We were surrounded by thousands of excited young Catholics preparing for the start of an annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres, organized by devotees of the traditional Latin Mass.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
Callie is popular and vivacious, perpetually surrounded by admirers and various hangers-on (Audrey Grace Marshall’s Cara is hellbent on usurping Minnie’s place in Callie’s life, while her himbo-esque boyfriend Brad is given wonderful dimension through Beck Nolan’s sneaky-good performance).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
As he and about 50 others scattered, the national guard officers surrounded them.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Protesters surrounded the building and began to pound on doors and windows.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Each couple was surrounded by love, family, and friends.
—Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Instead, Jones was surrounded by a family of medical professionals while growing up in the Kansas City area.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Clodagh Kinsella, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Now surrounded by trendy cafés selling matcha lattes, his boutique is filled to the brim with hunting jackets, tuxedos, dress shoes and tweed caps.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
We were surrounded by thousands of excited young Catholics preparing for the start of an annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres, organized by devotees of the traditional Latin Mass.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
Callie is popular and vivacious, perpetually surrounded by admirers and various hangers-on (Audrey Grace Marshall’s Cara is hellbent on usurping Minnie’s place in Callie’s life, while her himbo-esque boyfriend Brad is given wonderful dimension through Beck Nolan’s sneaky-good performance).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
As he and about 50 others scattered, the national guard officers surrounded them.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Protesters surrounded the building and began to pound on doors and windows.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Each couple was surrounded by love, family, and friends.
—Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Instead, Jones was surrounded by a family of medical professionals while growing up in the Kansas City area.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrounded
Verb
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The rock was encircled by a whopping 58 more pink diamonds, plus one half-moon diamond on either side.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
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Its head doesn’t resemble the shape of a skull, like most other humanoids, but instead a cylinder with a flat face encircled by a ring of light.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The crafty, sublimely skilled Minnesota Wild defenseman took a drop pass from Matt Boldy and circled out high before cutting sharply into the high slot.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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Playing her instrument with melodic flair, Gaffey—who was also dressed by Chavarria—circled through the room in a red version of Montero’s backless number.—
Avon Dorsey,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The evaluation encompassed evaluations of companies based on direct and indirect recommendations.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
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The collection encompassed oversized puffer jackets, tracksuits, and base layers, as well as two fresh shoe models.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The frame is ringed by two dozen bottles for collecting water samples, like a flower with 24 petals.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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Completed in 2016, Encore is designed like a large yacht with expansive decks lined with lounge chairs all ringed around one main pool.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But across Florida, most local governments have embraced the idea that careful planning is one of the best ways to create sustainable, balanced communities.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
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By the time Saturday’s competition was completed, by the time Johnson vanquished San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant in the championship round, the charisma of the Bay Area product had enveloped the Los Angeles Clippers’ arena to the degree that he was being embraced as one of their own.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surrounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrounded. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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