verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
encirclesimple
-
encirclessimple
-
have encircledperfect
-
has encircledperfect
-
am encirclingprogressive
-
are encirclingprogressive
-
is encirclingprogressive
-
have been encirclingperfect progressive
-
has been encirclingperfect progressive
Past
-
encircledsimple
-
had encircledperfect
-
was encirclingprogressive
-
were encirclingprogressive
-
had been encirclingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of encircle
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at en- 1, circle
Explanation
To encircle is to surround, or to make a circle around. On the last night of summer camp, the counselors and campers traditionally encircle the campfire and sing songs. Prisons are encircled by barbed wire fences, and hot, damp pavement encircles most public swimming pools. When you hug your little sister, you encircle her with your arms. If your tomato plants are growing too tall and flopping over, you should encircle them with twine to hold them up. Encircle adds the prefix en-, "make or put in" to circle, from its Latin root circus, or "ring."
Vocabulary lists containing encircle
Florida's B.E.S.T Roots: circ, circum
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Novio Boy: Scene 7, Part 2" and "Your World"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
Several thousand people compete for spots in the lots and decks that encircle the headquarters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
Thirty-six dancers with raised arms glide slowly forward as they encircle their prey, a lone figure on a red table in a climactic scene from Ravel's "Bolero" choreographed by Maurice Bejart.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
It already displays two prominent, sweeping arms that encircle a bright central bulge, stretching across about 30,000 light-years.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 3, 2025
As the earth began to shake around 10 a.m., the elder elephants in the enclosure rushed to encircle the youngsters, the video shows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025
Mother sits beside her, and the other women encircle Naomi, holding up their blankets to create a tent for some privacy.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
The carbon-rich disk encircles the planet known as CT Cha b, located about 625 light-years from Earth.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2025
Since 2019, it has expanded its attacks from northern Burkina Faso and now encircles Ouagadougou, threatening links with neighbouring Ivory Coast, Togo and Mali.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025
This is the first time the M25 motorway, which encircles the capital, will be entirely shut for a weekend.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2024
Capps took a photo from down the bluff that shows the red fence that encircles the balcony hanging over the beach, threatening to tumble into the sand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
I slice one of them, but another encircles my legs and closes them tight.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Several hundred city residents, social justice activists, and dozens of Newark police officers encircled the DHS site where Baraka was being held.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
In a dash of added celebrity for the pro-Claude camp, pop star Katy Perry posted a screenshot of her new subscription to the Claude Pro plan, encircled with a drawing of a heart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The island identified beneath Karnak is the only known example of such high ground encircled by water in the region.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 4, 2026
In early April, 1992, Bosnian Serb forces encircled Sarajevo, starting what would become the most prolonged siege in modern European history.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
Kayode said, “I’m coming,” and left to find out what was wrong, and in the new silence, Ginika fiddled with the metal bangle that encircled her wrist.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
She pointed out one pup with a piece of trash encircling its neck.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Behind the concertina wire encircling the bases, Germans could experience American bowling alleys and drive-in theaters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
The report imagined an “emerald necklace,” an urban paradise of parks and rivers and open spaces and public beaches encircling L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
More waste arrives daily, piling up like technicolour snowdrifts along the roads and rivers of Xa Cau, one of hundreds of "craft" recycling villages encircling Vietnam's capital Hanoi where waste is sorted, shredded and melted.
From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025
Birds and animals were now swaying together, closely encircling Mary Poppins, who was rocking lightly from side to side.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
