encompasses

verb

present tense third-person singular of encompass
1
as in surrounds
to form a circle around a necklace of sapphire-blue lakes encompasses the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in includes
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 wraps
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 encompasses But Giamatteo sees the QNX business as key to a future in AI, specifically, physical AI, a term that encompasses products like autonomous cars and robotics. — Arjun Kharpal,kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 The solidly blue seat encompasses most of Sacramento’s downtown core and stretchs from Lodi to Placerville. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Lion Sands now encompasses four distinctive lodges along the Sabie River, with experiences including open-air treehouse sleep-outs. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Matthews addressed The Bachelorette lead’s turbulent relationship with Mortensen, which encompasses a history of domestic violence. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026 The Starbase Texas site encompasses only about 350 acres, and SpaceX also must maintain public access to Boca Chica Beach as much as possible along a single roadway. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026 The district encompasses an increasingly Democratic-leaning Omaha metro area of 1 million-plus and its more conservative suburbs — famous for steaks and the Reuben sandwich’s birthplace, though New York disputes that. — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 The structure encompasses exhibition spaces and areas for cultural programming, including an accessible rooftop and a hotel. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026 Today, Nobu encompasses almost 60 restaurants and a rapidly growing portfolio of hotels and residential developments. — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encompasses
  1. surrounds
  2. includes
  3. wraps
  4. encircles
  5. involves
  6. encloses
  7. contains
  8. envelops
Verb
  • The 2026 Man Pavilion Designed by Alexander Rose Another key Axis Mundi structure this year is Cryptomeria, the pavilion that surrounds the Man.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Anna Watson’s lighting keeps much of the house just dim enough to make the imagination dangerous, while Tony winner Gareth Fry’s sound design surrounds the audience with ominous noises whose sources aren’t always immediately clear.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of surrounds
Verb
  • Plus, the modular set includes one roomy sofa, one armchair, a large and small ottoman, and an acacia coffee table that can be configured in several layouts to suit your needs.
    — Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Judge card Towns purchased includes two Gold Logoman patches worn by the Yankees outfielder during each of the last two seasons to mark his consecutive MVP campaigns in 2024 and 2025.
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of includes
Verb
  • The result is a silhouette that—hence the name—actually wraps around the face like a heart.
    — Lucy Binder, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2026
  • After hair wraps around the inner piece, just pull it out, wipe it off, and pop it back in.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of wraps
Verb
  • In May, the Georgia Department of Transportation closed a major section of the road, which encircles the city of Atlanta and connects much of the greater metro area, sending both intra- and interstate traffic through the city.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The paint color that encircles the wallpaper is important, but Chloe Redmond Warner says the bread should be the least exciting part of this sandwich.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircles
Verb
  • Part of a sumo’s training involves massive calorie consumption to become as sizable as possible and thus very hard to move in the ring.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The car rental booking experience involves more variables than most travel purchases.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of involves
Verb
  • The building encloses an acre of private landscaped courtyard, which the apartment’s airy living area overlooks.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 10 Aug. 2026
  • When a flower matures, the ovary of the flower matures into a fruit, and that fruit encloses the seeds.
    — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 30 July 2026
Definition of encloses
Verb
  • Although the book contains a disclaimer saying some facts were changed, Palal argued that names, hotels and other details changed while the central account did not.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Seed butter contains nutrients naturally found in the whole seed, including protein, fiber, magnesium and other vitamins and minerals.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of contains
Verb
  • After being shut out of this month’s total solar eclipse, the Americas will have the best seats in the celestial house when Earth’s shadow briefly envelops the moon.
    — Marcia Dunn, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The Mexican singer paints the picture of dancing with someone new to get over an ex but just like with Tokischa and Karol, the sadness envelops her.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of envelops

Browse Nearby Words

encompassed
encompasses
encompassing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encompasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encompasses. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of conscientious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All