1
as in circled
to travel completely around
communication satellites encircling the earth
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2
as in surrounded
to form a circle around
immediately after announcing their engagement, the couple was encircled by their applauding friends
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Recent Examples of encircled
By Thursday morning, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.
—
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Others, particularly in North Carolina, remained year-round lakes encircled by sandy rims.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
Imagine bullfights in Beijing, Chinese conquistadors capturing Constantinople for Spain, and a Habsburg Empire that completely encircled the globe.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
One or two sat on the floor, encircled by newspaper articles, glancing back and forth as if trying to decode a message.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Discussing the status of Russia’s ground war in Ukraine, Gerasimov told Putin that Kremlin forces had encircled the city of Kupyansk in the northeast Kharkiv region.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
In Ukraine, Gerasimov said that Russian forces had encircled large numbers of Ukrainian soldiers around Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, and were advancing in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Yet there is a reason why Kinmen remains to this day ruled by Taipei—some 140 miles away—despite being encircled on three sides by the PRC.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
This remote site, encircled by an impressive wall spanning nearly 600 meters, can be viewed without the crowds found at more popular sites.
—Jen Richt, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircled
Verb
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As the demonstrators circled the sidewalk outside the World Trade Center with Noem inside, Manolo De Los Santos, a founder of The People's Forum and a regular protest organizer, told the crowd that demonstrators weren’t allowed inside.—
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As one officer grabs at her door handle, a third officer who had circled to the front of the SUV from the opposite side draws his gun.—
Verb
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Michael was called home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 4th, surrounded by his entire family in Los Angeles, California.—
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Centered around an azure alpine lake and surrounded by a network of more than 460 trails, Wanaka is a haven for kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, and skiing.—
Verb
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The sets built by Fisk traversed New York City and required the funding of a midbudget studio film (this is reportedly the most expensive production in A24’s history).—
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This family had traversed the jungle of the notorious Darien Gap with newborn Ashley, fleeing Ecuador to follow their dream of a safer life in America.—
Verb
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At that time, a few hundred operational satellites orbited the planet, and no collision occurred.—
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The conclusion comes from a fresh look at data from NASA’s Cassini mission, which orbited Saturn for nearly 20 years.—
Cite this Entry
“Encircled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircled. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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