encirclement

/ɪnˈsɜːrkəlmənt/
noun
  1. The act of surrounding something or someone completely, or the state of being surrounded.
    • The army's encirclement of the city cut off all supply routes.
    • The hikers felt a sense of encirclement as the fog closed in around them.
    • In chess, the encirclement of the opponent's king led to a quick checkmate.
  2. A situation in which someone or something is surrounded by opponents or difficulties.
    • The team's encirclement by stronger players made the game very challenging.
    • The politician complained of an encirclement by hostile media outlets.
    • The company faced an encirclement of competitors launching similar products.
What does "encirclement" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean