surround

surround (someone, something, or oneself) with (someone or something)

1. To group or gather people or things on all sides around someone or something; to encircle or enclose someone or something with people or things. The building was surrounded with police officers, completely trapping the burglars inside. People from around the country have been surrounding the gravesite with flowers and messages of thanks to the fallen hero.

2. To make a concerted effort to keep certain types of people to attend to or associate with someone or oneself. She hates criticism, so she just surrounds herself with sycophants who admire everything she does. You should try to surround your children with positive influences, but you must also accept that you cannot control every person with whom they spend time their time. My mother always taught me to surround myself with decent, honest people.

See also: surround

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

surround someone or something with someone or something

to encircle or enclose someone or something with people, something, or things. We surrounded him with his friends as he lay in the hospital bed. We surrounded the tree with wire netting to protect it against rabbits. They surrounded the display of jewels with guards.

See also: surround

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.