1
as in to circle
to travel completely around
communication satellites encircling the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The trail encircles a large, ADA-accessible playground and also provides views of the South Bend skyline.
—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 4 Jan. 2026
In São Paulo as in LA, downtown neighborhoods are calculatingly encircled by transportation infrastructure that has displaced thousands of working-class people, often through the brutality of eminent domain, which allows the government to force the sale of property for public use.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
For two days, Chinese warships and aircraft simulated a blockade of the global chip hub with live-fire exercises encircling the main island, while dozens of rockets struck waters near its northern and eastern ends on Tuesday.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
Live-fire activities would take place in five maritime and airspace zones encircling the island on Tuesday, according to information released by the command.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encircle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircle
Verb
-
The agent who had circled around the passenger side can be seen on the driver's side, returning his gun to his holster.—
-
So instead, to keep costs down and power up, the Starcloud satellite flies what is known as a dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbit, circling the planet at a near vertical 83° angle that carries it over the poles and keeps it almost constantly exposed to the sun.—
Verb
-
The porous polymer coating that reflects up to 97 percent of sunlight and radiates heat into the air, keeping surfaces up to six degrees cooler than the surrounding air even under direct sun.—
-
And Woll is seemingly in a good place after returning to the Leafs, taking part in multiple high-tempo practices, and on Friday, speaking to the media for the first time surrounding his absence.—
Verb
-
The video showed the mysterious concept, dubbed Corleo, roaming rocky terrain, leaping over icy crevasses, crossing snowy landscapes without losing its footing, and traversing a dark forest at night — all while carrying an adult rider on its back and being powered by a hydrogen power cell.—
-
The massive International Sportsmen’s Expo returns to the Colorado Convention Center this weekend for all things hunting, fishing and traversing the land.—
Verb
-
The four astronauts will lift off from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and spend the first two days orbiting the Earth, testing their life-support systems.—
-
The budget would preserve NASA missions to Venus, Uranus and the Habitable Worlds Observatory that are meant to search for life on planets orbiting nearby stars, as well as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is slated for launch next year.—
Cite this Entry
“Encircle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircle. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share