circumnavigate

verb

ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgāt How to pronounce circumnavigate (audio)
Definition of circumnavigatenext
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 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 The Apollo 8 photo, however, showed Earth reemerging into view, rather than disappearing, as astronauts Bill Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell circumnavigated the moon. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 7 Apr. 2026 During the 1969 Apollo 10 mission — the one in which Thomas Stafford, John Young and Eugene Cernan circumnavigated the moon — Stafford reported back to mission control on Day 6 of the mission that a piece of waste was floating through the cabin, according to once-confidential government documents. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026 Is there a market for a live-aboard cruise ship that will visit 140 countries and circumnavigate the world? — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
  1. traverse
  2. bypass
  3. circle
  4. circumvent
  5. orbit
  6. avoid
  7. encircle
  8. cross
Verb
  • Both Craig and Flanagan spent the weekend traversing the Twin Cities metro area.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The discovery will shed new light into just who was traversing these waters during that era, the culture ministry says.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of traverse
Verb
  • Wright’s claim that 5 to 7 million barrels per day are bypassing the Strait of Hormuz via pipelines appears to be accurate.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Another alternate segment would bypass the city of Temecula and send a portion of the project south, along Palomar Mountain.
    — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of bypass
Verb
  • On the day Tran was ambushed, the vehicle circled the area 16 times before the shooting, according to investigators.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The captain of a lobster diving boat, Steven Del Sol, told officials that his vessel was anchored off Fisher Island when Simpson's Conch-brand boat allegedly approached him at high speed and began circling his boat, the arrest affidavit said.
    — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of circle
Verb
  • The other half revolves around knowing which costly mistakes to circumvent.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Russia uses aging, often poorly maintained tankers in what is referred to as its shadow fleet to circumvent Western sanctions on Russian oil exports.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of circumvent
Verb
  • China is building a lunar base Upon completion of its first base on the Moon in 2035, China will move ahead and extend its footprint by constructing a larger orbiting complex by 2045.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn’t scheduled for a return visit until 2125.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of orbit
Verb
  • Meanwhile, a company has developed surf booties that claim to be barb-resistant — though swimmers are urged to still tread lightly to avoid trampling the rays.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • State police urge people to avoid the area until it's deemed safe.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • The paint color that encircles the wallpaper is important, but Chloe Redmond Warner says the bread should be the least exciting part of this sandwich.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The pendant, which is encircled by diamonds, also includes a heart between the initials.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircle
Verb
  • Seigler, though, crossed home plate before Sogard was put out at first.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Before the war, an average of 120 vessels crossed the crucial waterway, through which one-fifth of global oil supplies used to travel, every day.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of cross

Browse Nearby Words

circumlocutory
circumnavigate
circumnavigated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of circumnavigate for Spanish Speakers

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