encircle
/ɪnˈsəːk(ə)l
/ /ɛnˈsəːk(ə)l/verb [with object]
Form a circle around; surround: the town is encircled by fortified walls...
- Imagine her surprise when she felt the point of a knife on the small of her back, and a large arm encircling her waist.
- The cuff is an inelastic cloth that encircles the arm and encloses the inflatable rubber bladder.
- I didn't get far though, before his arms encircled my waist and pulled me to his wet body.
Synonyms
surround, enclose, circle, ring, encompass, circumscribe, border, bound, edge, skirt, fringe, form a ring around, form a barrier round;
close in, shut in, fence in, wall in, hem in, lock in, cut off, confine
literary gird, girdle, engird
Derivatives
encirclement
/ /ɛnˈsəːk(ə)lm(ə)nt / noun ...- The latest outrage was the encirclement of the city, cutting it off and isolating it from its environment through barricades.
- The counterattack scored some stunning successes at first, including the encirclement of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne.
- This turned allies into enemies, creating a fear of encirclement - and an even greater obsession with military strength.