1
as in surrounded
to form a circle around
a necklace of sapphire-blue lakes encompasses the town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in included
to have as part of a whole
textbooks on American history are now likely to encompass its social history as well as its political and military history
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wrapped
to surround or cover closely
a fog of mystery has long encompassed this fraternal organization, which is known for its secret rituals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of encompassed
Arts coverage also encompassed the art, music theater, and writers’ projects launched by the government under the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal agency that employed people during the Great Depression.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
The center was at the vanguard of a larger Yiddish-interest revival that also encompassed the college, as when the two institutions partnered to offer Yiddish classes, which are popular offerings in Amherst.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The job encompassed enormous challenges.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
At one time, the property, which was sold to the city in 1983, encompassed 630 acres, with its grounds still used for an annual Strawberry Festival and other city events.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
Southeast Alaska, largely encompassed by a temperate rainforest, is no stranger to landslides.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Queen Elizabeth's record reign encompassed 15 British prime ministers, audiences with 13 sitting American presidents and at least 14 generations of corgis roaming her royal homes, to her great joy.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Wallace offered a ton of praise of the direction of the team, and also drew some connections between the Panthers of today and the Panthers of 2002-06, which encompassed his four years in Carolina.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
The Council’s definition of at risk of eviction encompassed anyone who had gotten a demand letter from their landlord, a first step in an often months- or years-long process towards eviction.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
The center was at the vanguard of a larger Yiddish-interest revival that also encompassed the college, as when the two institutions partnered to offer Yiddish classes, which are popular offerings in Amherst.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The job encompassed enormous challenges.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
At one time, the property, which was sold to the city in 1983, encompassed 630 acres, with its grounds still used for an annual Strawberry Festival and other city events.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
Southeast Alaska, largely encompassed by a temperate rainforest, is no stranger to landslides.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Queen Elizabeth's record reign encompassed 15 British prime ministers, audiences with 13 sitting American presidents and at least 14 generations of corgis roaming her royal homes, to her great joy.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Wallace offered a ton of praise of the direction of the team, and also drew some connections between the Panthers of today and the Panthers of 2002-06, which encompassed his four years in Carolina.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
The Council’s definition of at risk of eviction encompassed anyone who had gotten a demand letter from their landlord, a first step in an often months- or years-long process towards eviction.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encompassed
Verb
-
He was surrounded by numerous family and Braves alumni during the ceremony, which was relocated from the field to the Milner Technology Conference Center due to rain.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The department said on X that the incident occurred early Saturday when LAPD officers were trying to clear debris from the road and were surrounded by protesters.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Though former head coach Kyra Elzy was still at the helm at Kentucky at the point of O’Neal’s recruitment, O’Neal named UK as one of eight finalists in high school; the list also included Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, LSU (her father’s alma mater) and Tennessee.—
Caroline Makauskas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
There were three years where the award was shared because of a tie in the voting, and two of those included Duke players Elton Brand and Grant Hill.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In photos from that night, a museum guard is seen handcuffed in the basement, his head wrapped in duct tape.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Researchers recently identified food DNA on the Shroud of Turin — a finding that suggests the burial cloth believed to have wrapped Jesus Christ may have been contaminated over time.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The country's National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled Hezbollah fighters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The country’s National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, include near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled fighters with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.—
Samy Magdy,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The authors argued that the typical American diet contained excessive calories and fat and lacked sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Burick and one of his students assemble the base for one of ENIAC’s three portable function tables, which contained banks of switches that stored numerical constants.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But there’s also the pan brioche (Italian brioche bread) with anchovies and butter and puntarelle enveloped in a savory anchovy hug; the agnolotti del plin, dumplings shining in a glossy butter and sage sauce, are not to be missed either.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
His heart was completely enveloped in fluid.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There will be clinics for players with disabilities alongside coaching courses and referee sessions to help get more people involved in the sport.—
Lisa Hughes,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Criminal charges also were filed against two Chinese nationals involved in a similar operation in Myanmar.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The process of peer review is often shrouded in secrecy to allow colleagues to criticize one another without professional repercussions, but one paper found that special issues tend to have faster turnaround times for articles, as well as lower rejection rates.—
Anil Oza,
STAT,
24 Apr. 2026
-
With just eight elegant rooms, perched high above the hustle and bustle of wine country, guests are shrouded in peace and quiet, as if in the clouds.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encompassed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encompassed. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
