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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encircled
Some people lamented on social media the empty spaces around a pond that used to be seamlessly encircled by flowering pink blossoms.
—
ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The sapphire, encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds, was designed by the famed House of Garrard.
—Jessica Gibbs, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The facility, which was built inside a nuclear weapons base long known to the CIA, is encircled by three layers of security fencing.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Instead of forming a concentric pattern around Katmai, the ash encircled Novarupta.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Just beyond this mess, a chain-link fence encircled the site of the lodge.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Opposite the pump lies a dead body, haphazardly covered with half a sheet of cardboard and encircled by black flies.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 14 Mar. 2026
Wolf packs on the hunt encircled their prey—typically elk—clamping at the jugular when their target grew weary from the chase.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
There are single and double cultivars offering variations on the classic yellow center encircled by white petals.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The sapphire, encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds, was designed by the famed House of Garrard.
—Jessica Gibbs, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The facility, which was built inside a nuclear weapons base long known to the CIA, is encircled by three layers of security fencing.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Instead of forming a concentric pattern around Katmai, the ash encircled Novarupta.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Just beyond this mess, a chain-link fence encircled the site of the lodge.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Opposite the pump lies a dead body, haphazardly covered with half a sheet of cardboard and encircled by black flies.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 14 Mar. 2026
Wolf packs on the hunt encircled their prey—typically elk—clamping at the jugular when their target grew weary from the chase.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
There are single and double cultivars offering variations on the classic yellow center encircled by white petals.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircled
Verb
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The ball circled the rim twice before dropping on Friday night, delighting Duke and its fans and crushing LSU.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
According to flight-tracking data online, at least one of the helicopters circled Rock’s estate four times over a three-minute span.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Carroll had a nice try in the 62nd minute when a corner kick found Auns, surrounded in front of the goal.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
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Nevertheless, you are surrounded by high energy that is keen to socialize.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some 80 oil and gas tankers a day typically traversed the Strait of Hormuz before the war, The New York Times noted.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The landscape—rolling hills, thick forests, and lush river valleys—lends itself to hiking and biking, and the park is also traversed by the Green and Nolin rivers, which offer plenty of opportunities for boating and fishing.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The world’s first lunar visitors orbited the moon on Apollo 8.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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That might lead to comparisons with Apollo 8 — the first mission to fly humans to the moon in 1968 — but Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders orbited the moon.—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encircled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircled. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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