encircling 1 of 2

adjective

as in surrounding

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encircling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of encircle
1
as in circling
to travel completely around communication satellites encircling the earth

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in encompassing
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 encircling
Verb
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 Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 There are no bleachers, so spectators set up lawn chairs encircling the field. — Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 27 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 Champions Nigeria enter with 10 stars encircling the crest on their jerseys, having won 10 of the previous 13 WAFCONs, and looking to add an 11th. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 26 July 2026 The stone is halo-set on a pavé band—jewelry lingo for having a ring of small white diamonds encircling the stone and covering the band. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 21 July 2026 Cheers roared from the crowd encircling the concrete arena as two skateboarders slammed into each other at top speed. — Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encircling
  1. surrounding
  2. circling
  3. embracing
  4. orbiting
  5. connecting
  6. traversing
  7. joined
  8. attached
Adjective
  • Some critics of the budget cuts argue that the bar may be high but merited, given what the museum has to offer Brussels in terms of art, direct and indirect employment, and revitalizing the surrounding, low-income neighborhood.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Connecticut farmers have been watching how surrounding states have handled the bright red flying bug and adjusted their farms accordingly.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • Cosmic death The unnamed exoplanet was discovered circling the white dwarf HS 0209+0832, according to a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Surveillance video shows three vehicles circling the parking lot before a white Toyota Tacoma barrels through the storefront, shattering glass and sending employees running.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of circling
Adjective
  • The saints’ days are celebrated, the great days of history are celebrated, and they’re celebrated with this sort of enormous exuberance and deep investment that is somehow very, very touching, very embracing, and very inclusive.
    — Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 2 Sep. 2025
Definition of embracing
Verb
  • At the same time, the star’s brightness seemed to dim periodically, suggesting an orbiting planet.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The planetary system is among the most studied in our galaxy, and its star is known to host 30 orbiting comets and a giant disk of dust and debris, which NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope photographed in detail in 2015.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Adjective
  • For families Ski vacations and mountain vacations are meant to be enjoyed with the whole family—there’s little that is more connecting than a day on the slopes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Znotins acknowledges that the airline makes prices for those non-connecting trips expensive to discourage non-connecting customers from booking them.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of connecting
Verb
  • Oil drops as Hormuz traffic rebounds Oil prices fell as new data showed crude exports from the Middle East surpassed prewar levels, though any respite may be short-lived as attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz increased.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates between Durango and Silverton, traversing the San Juan National Forest and running along the Animas River.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of traversing
Adjective
  • Jones, the former Apple exec who recently re-joined Amazon, padded out the programming wish list.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Kar, the company’s CEO, was a founding team member at Palo Alto Networks and oversaw Juniper Networks’ entire Ethernet portfolio before the two joined forces at Auradine, a blockchain and AI chip startup where Upscale was incubated.
    — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 22 June 2026
Definition of joined
Adjective
  • Arthur Gallagher, a Clewiston homeowner, filed a water damage claim after his dog damaged an outdoor spigot by pulling on the attached hose.
    — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There are also salads, soups, and flatbreads made with Texas Hill Country Olive Oil products, along with a selection of Texas wines, an olive oil tasting bar, and an attached shop selling olive oil, gourmet food, and gifts.
    — Jill Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of attached

Browse Nearby Words

encircles
encircling
enclasp
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Cite this Entry

“Encircling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encircling. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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