sur·round
sə-ˈrau̇nd 
surrounded; surrounding; surrounds
1
a(1)
: to enclose on all sides : envelop
the crowd surrounded her
(2)
: to enclose so as to cut off communication or retreat : invest entry 2
b
: to form or be a member of the entourage of
flatterers who surround the king
c
: to constitute part of the environment of
surrounded by poverty
d
: to extend around the margin or edge of : encircle
a wall surrounds the old city
2
: to cause to be surrounded by something
surrounded himself with friends
: something (such as a border or ambient environment) that surrounds
from urban centre to rural surround—
Emrys Jones
Emrys JonesSynonyms
Examples of surround in a Sentence
Verb
A wall surrounds the old city.
They had the suspect surrounded.
She was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of excited fans.
There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the decision.
His departure was surrounded by secrecy.
Noun
the vast, featureless surround of the desert was strangely appealing to him
Recent Examples on the WebLetters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 8 Apr. 2024
In a perfect day, in a perfect world Lying in Chateau marmont in an inflatable ring surrounded by friends and family with frozé on tap.
—Gen Handley, SPIN, 8 Apr. 2024
Taylor Wilson: Joey, what action is Biden now urging Congress to take here surrounding the next steps for the bridge?
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) and Yomiuri Shimbun Group Holdings on Monday released a joint proposal on shaping generative AI, urging officials to revise laws surrounding the technology and saying AI is already having negative impacts on users.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
The wrinkle is that there are still questions surrounding the rules for tax reporting and the calculations needed in that reporting.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Featuring walls of glass that connect outdoor and indoor living, the house offers stunning views of the surrounding canyon and sits on a 1.35-acre parcel down a gated, long driveway.
—Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
This is called an annular solar eclipse or ring of fire eclipse since the moon appears to be nestled completely inside the disc of the sun with a ring of bright sunlight surrounding it.
—Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 7 Apr. 2024
Researchers believe the wood was from an oak panel that surrounded the door frame above the Titanic’s first-class lounge entrance.
—Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 5 Apr. 2024
Limestone fireplace: The fireplace surround was covered with limestone to bring in a light natural color.
—Judy Revenaugh, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
This will highlight the penal green surrounds, while shorter rough gives opportunity for aggressive approach shots to the green.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The en suite has a large jetted tub and shower with marble surrounds, a dual-sink vanity, and French door access to a private brick patio and path to the backyard and pool.
—Monica Lander, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
Pictured above, the entirety of the Birmingham, Alabama, home—including the brick surround that wraps the front door—is coated in the classic shade, lending the exterior curb appeal with staying power.
—Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2024
And experts warn that the number of cases recorded are just a small fraction of what may be the real number, in a deeply patriarchal country where shame and stigma surround rape victims and their families.
—CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
But even in the black-and-white scenes, whenever orchestral music is heard (performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin), it is presented in full, immersive surround.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, which is located in the historic Fernside neighborhood of Alameda, California, featured beautiful arched entryways and windows, tray ceilings, a plaster fireplace surround, and a special front door.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024
Verb
Higher rents and higher new house prices also raise rents and prices in the surrounding areas.
—Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 8 Apr. 2024
In a perfect day, in a perfect world Lying in Chateau marmont in an inflatable ring surrounded by friends and family with frozé on tap.
—Gen Handley, SPIN, 8 Apr. 2024
Taylor Wilson: Joey, what action is Biden now urging Congress to take here surrounding the next steps for the bridge?
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) and Yomiuri Shimbun Group Holdings on Monday released a joint proposal on shaping generative AI, urging officials to revise laws surrounding the technology and saying AI is already having negative impacts on users.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
The wrinkle is that there are still questions surrounding the rules for tax reporting and the calculations needed in that reporting.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Featuring walls of glass that connect outdoor and indoor living, the house offers stunning views of the surrounding canyon and sits on a 1.35-acre parcel down a gated, long driveway.
—Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
This is called an annular solar eclipse or ring of fire eclipse since the moon appears to be nestled completely inside the disc of the sun with a ring of bright sunlight surrounding it.
—Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 7 Apr. 2024
Researchers believe the wood was from an oak panel that surrounded the door frame above the Titanic’s first-class lounge entrance.
—Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
For those looking for a true surround sound setup, this Vizio M-Series 5.1 surround system is affordable without skimping on quality.
—Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 5 Apr. 2024
Limestone fireplace: The fireplace surround was covered with limestone to bring in a light natural color.
—Judy Revenaugh, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
This will highlight the penal green surrounds, while shorter rough gives opportunity for aggressive approach shots to the green.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The en suite has a large jetted tub and shower with marble surrounds, a dual-sink vanity, and French door access to a private brick patio and path to the backyard and pool.
—Monica Lander, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
Pictured above, the entirety of the Birmingham, Alabama, home—including the brick surround that wraps the front door—is coated in the classic shade, lending the exterior curb appeal with staying power.
—Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2024
And experts warn that the number of cases recorded are just a small fraction of what may be the real number, in a deeply patriarchal country where shame and stigma surround rape victims and their families.
—CNN, 5 Mar. 2024
But even in the black-and-white scenes, whenever orchestral music is heard (performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin), it is presented in full, immersive surround.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, which is located in the historic Fernside neighborhood of Alameda, California, featured beautiful arched entryways and windows, tray ceilings, a plaster fireplace surround, and a special front door.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surround.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near surround
Cite this Entry
“Surround.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surround. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surround
1 of 2 verb
sur·round
sə-ˈrau̇nd
: to enclose on all sides : encircle
surround
2 of 2 noun
: something (as a border) that surrounds
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