cir·cum·nav·i·gate
ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgāt 
circumnavigated; circumnavigating; circumnavigates
: to go completely around especially by water
circumnavigate the earth
cir·cum·nav·i·ga·tion
¦sər-kəm-ˌna-və-¦gā-shən
plural -s
: the act or process of circumnavigating an object (as the earth)
when Malacca Henry arrived … he had been around the world although Magellan's men had not yet finished their circumnavigation—
R. P. Ludlum
R. P. LudlumExamples of circumnavigate in a Sentence
Verb
The ship circumnavigated the world.
the first ship to circumnavigate the globe
Recent Examples on the Web
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
The menu from chef Reneé Touponce and beverage director Jade Ayala, both James Beard Award–recognized, likewise circumnavigated the globe.
—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
Havertz might be preferred at No 9 given the technical level of Arsenal’s opposition, as well as PSG’s pressing capabilities, which might require longer passes into the front line to circumnavigate.
—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
The first Global Ocean Sampling Expedition, which used Venter’s own yacht, circumnavigated the globe between 2005 and 2006.
—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
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.
Verb
Chicagoan Bill Pinkney sailed into Boston Harbor having circumnavigated the globe all by himself, the third American and the first Black person to have accomplished the feat by taking a route that included the five southernmost capes.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
The menu from chef Reneé Touponce and beverage director Jade Ayala, both James Beard Award–recognized, likewise circumnavigated the globe.
—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
Havertz might be preferred at No 9 given the technical level of Arsenal’s opposition, as well as PSG’s pressing capabilities, which might require longer passes into the front line to circumnavigate.
—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
The first Global Ocean Sampling Expedition, which used Venter’s own yacht, circumnavigated the globe between 2005 and 2006.
—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumnavigate. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
circumnavigate
verb
cir·cum·nav·i·gate
ˌsər-kəm-ˈnav-ə-ˌgāt
: to go completely around especially by water
circumnavigate the earth
also
: to go around instead of through : bypass
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
