as in encircles
to form a circle around
she was surrounded by cheering fans within moments of scoring the winning goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in surroundings
the circumstances, conditions, or objects by which one is surrounded
the vast, featureless surround of the desert was strangely appealing to him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 surrounds
Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 4 June 2026
One of his missions is to end the stigma that still surrounds people with HIV.
—Joe Donlon, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Luna believes that while stories about what surrounds the sport are compelling, there are no good movies that focus on the action on the field.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Kane embodies greatness and surrounds himself with it.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
The primary area of caution surrounds downturn resilience, where MSFT has historically underperformed the index during significant sell-offs.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The same energy surrounds this modest character drama from first-time writer-director David Drake, which features everyone’s favorite supporting scene-stealer Margo Martindale in a starring role.
—Jason Bailey, Vulture, 27 May 2026
What might have played effectively live on stage feels brutally stilted and over-egged here, especially as Maras surrounds his and Haig’s weakest material with the visual language of prestige cinema.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026
Many communities in America are far better attuned than Gorka and his colleagues are to the homegrown radicalization that surrounds us.
—Juliette Kayyem, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
Ken Silverio, Robb Report, 9 May 2026
In the sanitized and alienating new surrounds, with the camaraderie of the early Hyperion days but a faint memory, long-simmering discontent about working conditions wouldn’t take long to boil over.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
While the large spring-fed lake serves as the centerpiece of this area, there’s much more to Lake Geneva and its surrounds.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 31 Mar. 2026
The boy squire shines bright in the otherwise drab surrounds of the tourney campgrounds.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
His 1965 Danziger Studio, a live-work space on Melrose Avenue, featured an uninterrupted stucco façade that blended seamlessly into the urban surrounds.
—News Desk, Artforum, 11 Dec. 2025
The best spas in the world offer soothing surrounds, standout hospitality and treatment menus that are equal parts traditional and unique.
—Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
While some neighborhoods have gotten attention, the progress has been uneven and isn't reaching the same critical mass of development and redevelopment success that has benefited the downtown area and its surrounds.
—Dana Afana, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Much of the focus since the Premier League’s newest venue opened last month has understandably been on its space-age design, and how this temple of glass and steel near the mouth of the River Mersey looks so out of place with its surrounds.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
People infected with the less common species may also forgo the disease’s hallmark bullseye rash that surrounds the tick bite, Norris said.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 4 June 2026
One of his missions is to end the stigma that still surrounds people with HIV.
—Joe Donlon, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Luna believes that while stories about what surrounds the sport are compelling, there are no good movies that focus on the action on the field.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Kane embodies greatness and surrounds himself with it.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
The primary area of caution surrounds downturn resilience, where MSFT has historically underperformed the index during significant sell-offs.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The same energy surrounds this modest character drama from first-time writer-director David Drake, which features everyone’s favorite supporting scene-stealer Margo Martindale in a starring role.
—Jason Bailey, Vulture, 27 May 2026
What might have played effectively live on stage feels brutally stilted and over-egged here, especially as Maras surrounds his and Haig’s weakest material with the visual language of prestige cinema.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026
Many communities in America are far better attuned than Gorka and his colleagues are to the homegrown radicalization that surrounds us.
—Juliette Kayyem, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
Noun
Commissioned from DeART of Italy, they are housed in cabinets in a muted version of British Racing Green, in harmony with the wooden look and feel of their surrounds.
—Ken Silverio, Robb Report, 9 May 2026
In the sanitized and alienating new surrounds, with the camaraderie of the early Hyperion days but a faint memory, long-simmering discontent about working conditions wouldn’t take long to boil over.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
While the large spring-fed lake serves as the centerpiece of this area, there’s much more to Lake Geneva and its surrounds.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 31 Mar. 2026
The boy squire shines bright in the otherwise drab surrounds of the tourney campgrounds.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
His 1965 Danziger Studio, a live-work space on Melrose Avenue, featured an uninterrupted stucco façade that blended seamlessly into the urban surrounds.
—News Desk, Artforum, 11 Dec. 2025
The best spas in the world offer soothing surrounds, standout hospitality and treatment menus that are equal parts traditional and unique.
—Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
While some neighborhoods have gotten attention, the progress has been uneven and isn't reaching the same critical mass of development and redevelopment success that has benefited the downtown area and its surrounds.
—Dana Afana, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Much of the focus since the Premier League’s newest venue opened last month has understandably been on its space-age design, and how this temple of glass and steel near the mouth of the River Mersey looks so out of place with its surrounds.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrounds
Verb
-
Many travelers choose to explore the area via the Ring of Kerry, the scenic drive that encircles the peninsula.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
-
The tubing with inline emitters, shown at bottom, encircles a citrus.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Larger than the entire state of Pennsylvania, the rural district encompasses 27 of the state’s 64 counties and takes in vastly different towns, including Aspen, Grand Junction, San Luis and Durango.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
-
The deal, the first between Zee and FIFA, also encompasses a portfolio of age-group and futsal tournaments across both the men’s and women’s game, as well as documentary series tied to each property.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The spike in commodity prices caused by the war in the Middle East has handed them one of their richest trading environments in years.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
Katsanis, who has training in covering hostile environments, said the incident had left her deeply shaken.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The issue circles back to the gigantic investment needed to mine that rich lode when the top names in tech are digging as well.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
But even that comic tension threatens to rip as the painfully thin story repeatedly circles the same disputes without deepening them.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Tourists can no longer approach the 13-foot fence that rings the compound.—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
What was on your mind then post 9/11 with the film and what still rings true today?—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
This destructive process caused an influx of lithium into their atmospheres.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
-
Whether for late-night meals, romantic settings or rooftop lounges — consumers are willing to pay for atmospheres tailored to specific occasions.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Interest in the author’s life can curdle into obsession, as in Henry James’s The Aspern Papers, in which the narrator embraces any deception necessary to acquire the letters of a dead poet.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
Galitzine embraces the indignity.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surrounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrounds. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
