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
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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
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
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The team traversed steep and uneven ground, overcame vertical drops of up to 60 feet (20 meters) using rope techniques and transformed a small underground site into a temporary base.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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Several states along the East Coast have been issued warnings by the National Weather Service (NWS), after a nor’easter traversed the eastern seaboard this weekend bringing with it the threat of strong wind and heavy rain.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Court documents show Bass and Randle knew the window was a safety hazard since June 2023, and that their children had been able to bypass the locks since December.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
21 Oct. 2025
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When exposed to cancer-causing agents or to ultraviolet B light, McSCs can bypass this protective response.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Before a lunar landing mission is attempted, NASA is planning to launch four astronauts on its Artemis II mission in 2026 on a 10-day mission circling the moon.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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Ellison has been circling WBD since early September, having made his intentions known about a month after the completion of the $8 billion Skydance-Paramount merger.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By building on federal land, Stein said, developers are then able to circumvent some of the local permitting requirements that would otherwise be required on private land.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
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Your publisher is hoping to circumvent that by coming up with a mix of words that will enable a higher search yield.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Similar to finding that planets do not orbit the earth, the search for economics anomalies requires searching for empirical facts that cannot (easily) be explained using the standard economic model where everyone chooses by optimizing and makes no systematic mistakes.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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The first Artemis mission got off the ground in November 2022, when an uncrewed Orion capsule launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a moon-orbiting mission to test the vehicle.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For those affected, avoiding even trace amounts of eggs is essential, making accurate labeling critical.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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For less hustle and bustle, busiest avoid traveling Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This remote site, encircled by an impressive wall spanning nearly 600 meters, can be viewed without the crowds found at more popular sites.—
Jen Richt,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
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The vents encircling the stand’s rounded top handle cooling.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa and try to enter Europe to claim asylum along the Italian coast.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
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Gavin Sawchuk may or may not have crossed the goal line on a shovel pass.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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