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

The U.S. also clinched a spot in the round of 32.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026

Baker’s old OTC fund invested fewer dollars in the round than the Contrafund, but its SpaceX stake was a bigger share of fund assets, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The rest of the games in the round were similarly spread out across an array of services, with some games also available on Sling TV and DirecTV.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

The Olympics only comes once every four years and, no matter what's happened in the round robin, it's a brand new competition in the play-offs.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

She walked there in the round courtyard with the Governor’s wife, who used her with great kindness, knowing the nobility of her blood.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson