surround
verb (used with object)
to enclose on all sides; encompass.
were surrounding
-
past progressiveof surround.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
I saw all the units that were surrounding him and asked, “What is this?”
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
“He was just chasing after him and then there were five police cars that came and they were surrounding him,” she said as she waited outside the school for a bus.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 20, 2023
He made his final flight last year on Aug. 15, piloting his plane to Tajikistan to prevent it from falling into the hands of the insurgents who were surrounding Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.
From New York Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
Dozens of people were surrounding me and yet I felt alone.
From Fox News ● Jan. 29, 2022
Minli was so happy to see the dragon that she didn’t notice that most of Da-A-Fu’s family were surrounding them in awe.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
