1
as in to traverse
to travel completely around
the first ship to circumnavigate the globe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Hassan Hakmoun and Adam Rudolph’s score circumnavigates the Mediterranean — a sea which touches Duato’s native Spain, North Africa, the Greek isles, Turkey, Syria, Israel and Gaza.
—
Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Four are named in honor of different Miami Dolphins players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame that circumnavigate South Florida – the DCC 5K along with the Dan Marino, Larry Csonka, Zach Thomas and Jason Tyler Rides.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Superpressure balloons can last for months and travel long distances, potentially circumnavigating the globe, all the while reporting their position.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Four are named in honor of different Miami Dolphins players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame that circumnavigate South Florida – the DCC 5K along with the Dan Marino, Larry Csonka, Zach Thomas and Jason Tyler Rides.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Superpressure balloons can last for months and travel long distances, potentially circumnavigating the globe, all the while reporting their position.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
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Despite his complicated feelings about the reservoir itself, his favorite cottonwood in the hundreds of miles of canyons he’s traversed is on the main body of water, near a kink in the canyon known as the Rincón.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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Duncan believes the groups were likely explorers like him, traversing the large, 19th century sewer mains that run underneath parts of the city.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Specialist herbivores that feed on specific plants likely evolve metabolic countermeasures to detoxify or otherwise bypass chemical defenses of their hosts.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
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City leaders have often bypassed the provisions of past taxes to continue paying worker salaries.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Decades after Julian’s vanishing there, the band and various hangers-on recall eerie incidents both in and out of the house—rooms full of occult literature; pub full of haunting photographs—as well as the glimmering stranger circling the Orpheus-esque Julian.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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Nowhere is the ham-handed effort more evident than in Texas, where a blend of culture war grievance and incel-targeting rage have circled the sharp-witted but mild-mannered Talarico, whose campaign is shaping up to be a fundraising juggernaut.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The House's effort to circumvent leadership on support for Ukraine comes as bipartisan legislation in the Senate to impose new economic sanctions on Russia has languished for more than a year, with senators waiting for a green light from the White House.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
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Some attorneys and advocates say that Florida’s family courts are essentially stripping parents of their rights to their children without any oversight, circumventing state law.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Close conjunctions like this happen on a regular basis because all the planets in the solar system, including our Earth all orbit the sun in nearly the same plane, traveling at their respective speeds around our home star.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
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For the pair, silver was inherently linked to their interest in sci-fi, space and television, and symbolized their feeling of being two satellites orbiting around the world and each other.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Residents and visitors were urged to avoid the area as the investigation continues.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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Residents and festivalgoers were urged to avoid the area and expect a significant law enforcement presence as officers continue their search and investigators work to determine what led to the shooting.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Just under 300,000 years from the moment Homo sapiens appeared in Africa, the species had encircled Earth, mastering desolate deserts and frozen wastelands and all the temperate climes in between.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
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Ten standalone spa villas (five for couples and five for singles) encircle a pool reserved only for spa guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Every July tens of thousands of cyclists cross Iowa from the Missouri River to the Mississippi, riding past farm stands that will turn into dance parties by nightfall, across miles of cornfields and up rolling hills.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Finally, remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches when pruning to keep your tree healthy.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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