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 Learn about the native flora and fauna at the Seaside Nature Center, or borrow a free bike and cycle the Bike Loop trail that circumnavigates the park. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026 Ko Samui is the third-largest island in the country but remains small enough to be circumnavigated in just a couple of hours by motorbike or car, making neighboring locations easy to access. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025 The 16th-century adventurer, who first circumnavigated the globe by sea in 1522, wavers beneath the pressure of his pursuit, ultimately leading his men to mutiny and madness on the Malay Archipelago. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 18 Nov. 2025 In an attempt to become the first woman pilot to circumnavigate Earth, Earhart, along with navigator Fred Noonan, vanished in 1937 over the Pacific Ocean. Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
  • The research focused on helping Valkyrie adapt to changing conditions, traverse uneven terrain, and quickly connect visual information with physical actions for real-world robotic operations.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Running daily between the two cities, the train traverses 381 miles in about 11 hours.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The group pummelled the bot with more than 1,000 prompts to bypass the safeguards and convince Claude they were allowed to test the system for vulnerabilities.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • There are two ways for carriers offering nonstop Asia-Europe flights to bypass the closed Middle Eastern airspace.
    Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Consider how satellites reflect sunlight while also circling our planet very quickly.
    Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
  • If not, who will Denver circle as a guy to get a look at?
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Nessel's office alleges that Kalshi has circumvented Michigan's gambling laws by offering users to trade contracts based on whether specific events will happen, acting and operating like a gambling platform and should be subject to the same state laws that other online gaming apps are.
    Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Residents also accused the owners of attempting to circumvent rent control regulations.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • These interactions act like cosmic snowballs, gradually reshaping the surfaces and structures of the orbiting bodies.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The Musk episode as a warning In 2025, during a public dispute over government contracts and regulatory matters, Elon Musk briefly threatened to decommission the Dragon spacecraft – the vehicle NASA relies on to transport astronauts to orbit.
    Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Set up gentle boundaries during family talks to avoid old loops.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The best approach is simply to avoid the area until cleanup is actually possible.
    Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The sprawling Discover campus features a complex of four buildings encircling a large retention pond.
    Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
  • There dense clouds of dust and spindly filaments of cold molecular gas, the basic matter from which stars form, encircle the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*.
    Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That district also crosses county lines — into Corona, Chino Hills and other parts of western Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
  • As a result, millions upon millions crossed the border attracted by higher wages and better infrastructure, including hospitals, roads, sewers, clean water, schools for their children and other social services at the state or municipal level.
    Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 8 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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