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encercler

surround, encircle

verb ahn-ser-KLEH Rare

Usage Note

Encercler is a regular -er verb meaning to form a circle around something, typically in a military or tactical context: les troupes encerclent la ville ('the troops surround the city'). It can also describe physical surrounding in everyday contexts. The noun encerclement (encirclement) is common in military history texts describing siege tactics.

Examples

"Les policiers ont encerclé le bâtiment."

Natural Translation

The police surrounded the building.

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