as in encircled
to form a circle around
she was surrounded by cheering fans within moments of scoring the winning goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 surrounded
Metal barricades surrounded Madison Square Garden and police checkpoints were up around Penn Station as city officials scrambled to prevent a repeat of Wednesday night’s chaos, when dozens of fans were taken into custody after the Knicks’ historic comeback.
—
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Entering his fourth year on the Falcons’ defensive line, Harrison is surrounded by new faces and new skill sets after a makeover on the interior.
—Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 13 June 2026
The trick to rooting coleus is to keep the cuttings moist and surrounded by clear plastic in a shady area.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Gardens and more Along with the hypogeum, researchers also uncovered elaborate gardens that once surrounded the Palazzo.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
The Little Nell is firmly ensconced in Aspen's heart, directly at the base of Ajax mountain, surrounded by luxury jewelers, fur shops, and boutique purveyors of luxe outer wear (Gorsuch boutique is attached to the hotel), and tony cafes like the Gorsuch Ski Cafe across the way.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
One photo in the post showed Swift with her arm around Hargitay, 62, as other Knicks fans surrounded them, while a second snap captured them both shouting and cheering.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Unlike the west, the reef experience here unfolds offshore, surrounded by endless ocean horizons and vibrant coral formations.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
The current patio is surrounded by plants and trees too.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Entering his fourth year on the Falcons’ defensive line, Harrison is surrounded by new faces and new skill sets after a makeover on the interior.
—Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 13 June 2026
The trick to rooting coleus is to keep the cuttings moist and surrounded by clear plastic in a shady area.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Gardens and more Along with the hypogeum, researchers also uncovered elaborate gardens that once surrounded the Palazzo.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
The Little Nell is firmly ensconced in Aspen's heart, directly at the base of Ajax mountain, surrounded by luxury jewelers, fur shops, and boutique purveyors of luxe outer wear (Gorsuch boutique is attached to the hotel), and tony cafes like the Gorsuch Ski Cafe across the way.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
One photo in the post showed Swift with her arm around Hargitay, 62, as other Knicks fans surrounded them, while a second snap captured them both shouting and cheering.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Unlike the west, the reef experience here unfolds offshore, surrounded by endless ocean horizons and vibrant coral formations.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
The current patio is surrounded by plants and trees too.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrounded
Verb
-
Just under 300,000 years from the moment Homo sapiens appeared in Africa, the species had encircled Earth, mastering desolate deserts and frozen wastelands and all the temperate climes in between.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
-
Her daughter, Soraya, had taken refuge there with her three children, Christina, Charbel, and Elias, after fleeing Debl, a Christian border village now encircled by Israeli troops.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded to the shooting with several deputies and a helicopter that circled Jennings’ home.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
The mission will build on the Artemis II flight conducted in April, during which four astronauts circled the moon, traveling farther from Earth than any other previous space mission.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The career-spanning performance encompassed 23 songs across three acts, showing love to massive hits and heads-know favorites alike.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
7 June 2026
-
Clifford Chaun Loyer faces a sentence of life in prison after the jury convicted him on seven counts that encompassed the shootings and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
And even in Moscow, which open-source intelligence analysts say has been ringed by more than 100 air defense systems amid Ukraine's expanding strike campaign, the threat from Kyiv appears to be more present than ever before.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
-
Visitors enter through 2nd-century Hadrian’s Arch and find the Temple of Zeus, the Hippodrome, the Temple of Artemis and a forum ringed by 56 Corinthian columns.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Yeatman embraced those quick adjustments, recalling that the entire crew quickly developed a shorthand that allowed everyone to seamlessly adjust to the needs of the production without having to stop and discuss every little change.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 June 2026
-
Along with the saints found on El Mencho’s altar, another saint embraced in narco culture is the Santo Niño of Atocha, a childlike Christ figure known as the patron saint of prisoners and those in danger, said Robert Almonte, a law enforcement trainer and consultant in San Antonio, Texas.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surrounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrounded. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
