1
as in to traverse
to travel completely around the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to bypass
to avoid by going around we can circumnavigate the traffic jam if we take the next exit

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 circumnavigate About 2,300 runners line up to circumnavigate Mont Blanc on foot—106 miles, 33,000 feet of climbing, and 10 alpine summits. Sierra Shafer, Outside, 29 Aug. 2025 Enchanted Circle Drive The Enchanted Circle Drive circumnavigates Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico, and cuts through the lush Hondo Valley, past the Taos Pueblo, and into old gold mining towns. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025 In the winter of 1999, Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard and British flight instructor Brian Jones embark on an attempt to complete the last great aviation challenge of the 20th century – to circumnavigate the globe, nonstop in a hot-air balloon. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025 And joining the Apollo 13 crew after having first served on Apollo 8, which intentionally circumnavigated the moon but did not land on its surface, made Lovell the first human ever to see the moon up close for a second time. Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
  • There’s also the issue the many insta-death areas that require wall jumping to traverse.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
  • This 84-mile loop begins and ends in Taos and traverses the high alpine desert of northern New Mexico and several mountain towns, including Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Questa, and Red River.
    Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Now, there is another path to bypass parents and secretly push kids toward these dangerous drugs and surgeries.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Republicans need support from a handful of Senate Democrats to bypass the chamber's 60-vote filibuster.
    Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a video obtained by the Associated Press, the ship is first seen in the waters being circled by a lifeboat with emergency responders aboard.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The crowd looked skyward as a military helicopter approached from Gaza, briefly diverting from its route to Ichilov Hospital to circle the square in a symbolic salute.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Maybe because children often find ways to circumvent those restraints, 67% of respondents want tech companies to do more to set limits.
    Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
  • One of the smarter schematic adjustments to track all season has been how Kyle Shanahan has been able to circumvent the 49ers’ inability to run block by turning McCaffrey into the best slot receiver in the league.
    Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 2026 budget proposal would specifically see 41 science projects cancelled — a third of NASA's science portfolio, according to the Planetary Society — including the Mars Sample Return program and the Jupiter-orbiting Juno probe.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Heller is more concerned about how close the moon would have to orbit around WASP-39b to avoid being stripped away by the star.
    Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But Takaichi gave up her beloved Kawasaki Z400GP motorcycle after becoming a lawmaker in 1993 at age 32, reportedly to avoid accidents that could hinder her work.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Take extra caution when on the road or avoid driving if possible.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Ring of Fire is a vast tectonic belt encircling much of the Pacific Ocean, known for its intense seismic and volcanic activity.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Then the older elephants — Ndlula, Umngani, Khosi — scramble to encircle and shield the two 7-year-old calves Zuli and Mkhaya from any possible threats.
    Nina Græger, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Baltasar Rodriguez had stolen the ball from an Atlanta defender and crossed the ball to Messi.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Walk On The Appalachian Trail One of the country’s most legendary hiker routes, the Appalachian Trail runs for more than 2,000 miles from Georgia all the way to Maine, and its path happens to cross right through Hot Springs.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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