encircle

verb

in-ˈsər-kəl How to pronounce encircle (audio)
Definition of encirclenext
1
as in to circle
to travel completely around communication satellites encircling the earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to surround
to form a circle around immediately after announcing their engagement, the couple was encircled by their applauding friends

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 encircle 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 Its signature Hémisphère features fine grooves encircling each plate like rings around a planet. — Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026 The zoning resolution for the Manhattanville extension explicitly forbids encircling any of the outdoor spaces with gates or fences. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026 Instead, the Integrated Field Spectroscopy unit on the JWST's Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) measured the motion of hydrogen gas swirling around at high velocity in the accretion disks encircling each black hole. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
  1. circle
  2. surround
  3. traverse
  4. orbit
Verb
  • Military helicopter circled overhead, searching for survivors, assessing the disaster and mapping out possible rescue and evacuation routes.
    — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Attendees may make a habit of circling conflicts and calculating whether ten minutes of one set is worth the hike before another begins.
    — Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of circle
Verb
  • While the Anaheim Ducks, located a stone’s throw from Angel Stadium, are in the midst of a massive refurbishment project, the area surrounding the baseball stadium is largely dormant.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In the middle of the space was a single Supersonic dryer suspended on a boom arm and surrounded by microphones.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of surround
Verb
  • And while Jonas is no stranger to traversing the nation, often on a tour bus, he may not have been accustomed to the way it was done on the commercial’s set.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The ride reaches speeds of 72 mph, the fastest coaster in Universal’s global portfolio, while traversing 4,100 feet of track, two towering inverted loops and a pretzel loop.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of traverse
Verb
  • Among the most interesting structures found there are stellar streams — long, narrow trails of stars that orbit a galaxy.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The observatory will orbit at the same location as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope while facing away from Earth on the side opposite the sun.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of orbit

Browse Nearby Words

enciphers
encircle
encircled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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