encircle

American

[en-sur-kuhl] / ɛnˈsɜr kəl /

verb (used with object)

encircled, encircling

to form a circle around; surround; encompass.

to encircle an enemy.
to make a circling movement around; make the circuit of.

encircle British

/ ɪnˈsɜːkəl /

verb

(tr) to form a circle around; enclose within a circle; surround

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

encirclement noun
encircling adjective
unencircled adjective

Etymology

Origin of encircle

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; en- ¹, circle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These fisheries rely on purse-seine nets, a method that captures schooling fish by encircling them with a large wall of netting.

From Science Daily

In early April, 1992, Bosnian Serb forces encircled Sarajevo, starting what would become the most prolonged siege in modern European history.

From Barron's

The singer's four-octave vocal range is represented by a musical stave encircling the coin from bass to treble, while a studded armband etched along the edge pays tribute to his iconic Live Aid outfit.

From BBC

Ukraine's 7th Airborne Assault Corps says weather conditions, particularly dense fog, have prompted Moscow to intensify its bid to get increasing numbers into the ruined city and encircle Ukrainian forces.

From BBC

By early October the ring completely surrounded the city - with a smaller barricade encircling a neighbouring village.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023