encircle

verb

en·​cir·​cle in-ˈsər-kəl 

en-

encircled; encircling; encircles

transitive verb

1

: to form a circle around : surround

2

: to pass completely around

encirclement

in-ˈsər-kəl-mənt 

en-

noun

Synonyms of encircle

• circle
• traverse
• orbit

Examples of encircle in a Sentence

A crowd of reporters encircled the mayor.

communication satellites encircling the earth

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier, the Houthis seized several villages and areas on Taiz's outskirts, paving the way for the rebels to encircle Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city. — Ahmed Al-Haj, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

On Sunday, the group effectively encircled the key city of Taiz after cutting the main supply route linking it to the interim government capital of Aden. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026

Thursday saw one of the heaviest days of fighting yet, after the Houthis launched an all-out offensive seeking to encircle the city. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026

Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enserclen

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for encircle

• cercle
• circle
• preopercle
• semicircle
• tubercle

Kids Definition

encircle

verb

en·​cir·​cle in-ˈsər-kəl 

1

: to form a circle around : surround

2

: to go completely around

encirclement

-mənt 

noun