in the round

Idioms  

1. Visible from all sides, as in Jerry's done an excellent job in this interview, really portraying the senator in the round. This expression, which dates from about 1800, was at first used for a free-standing piece of sculpture (as opposed to a relief on a wall), and a century later for a theatrical stage (called theater-in-the-round) so placed that the audience could see a performance from all sides. Since the 1920s it has also been used figuratively for someone or something seen three-dimensionally, as in the example.

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Example Sentences

China’s National Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, a one-year-old government-backed fund with around $8.8 billion in capital, is in advanced talks to invest in the round in Chinese yuan, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

They tend to start quietly—an elbow that aches after the range, a shoulder that nags during the backswing, a wrist that feels tired late in the round.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Nvidia was a strategic investor in the round, xAI said.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Earlier in the round, MacIntyre admitted he "thought the world was ending" when the US won five and a half points from the first seven singles.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025

Mr. Stessman loved this kind of stuff—theater in the round.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell