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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
  • Hale traverses mountain trails, excavates court records, and reflects on his family’s roots in the region to examine the unexpected connections between the two events.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • At least two vessels that have traversed the strait have paid Iran fees in Chinese yuan to guarantee safe passage, analysts from Lloyd's List Intelligence said in a recent report.
    CBS News, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The project, known as QUASAR-CREATE, seeks to address a specific vulnerability in modern digital infrastructure, which is the eventual ability of quantum computers to bypass current encryption methods.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Yes, there are ways to bypass this with a digital antenna.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Officers flooded the area Wednesday night, with patrol cars lining the roadways and a police helicopter circling the park overhead.
    Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • But doing things the easy way has been unbecoming of the Ducks, who fell behind by two goals, circled the wagons to force overtime but then stumbled in the bonus session, 4-3, off Marco Rossi’s OT winner.
    Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Legislature has circumvented the ban by making K-12 vouchers available to students instead of funding private schools directly.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Hughes accused Kennedy of making changes to the charter to circumvent the judge’s ruling and further Kennedy’s push to undermine confidence in vaccines.
    Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The trip broke the record for farthest space flight accomplished by humans and gave the scientists aboard the spacecraft a chance to test critical systems within Orion, including the ship's life support system, maneuverability, its heat shield, and the first toilet to ever orbit the moon.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Yankees will look to avoid its first series sweep Sunday with Cam Schlittler on the mound against Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The troop carrier planes became bogged down in the soil and had to be destroyed by the US to avoid them falling into enemy hands, while new planes were flown in.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Pink ribbons now encircle every post and sign as a gesture to our loss.
    Stephen Trimble, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Jack Grealish was prone on one of the tables, encircled not by medical staff but members of the club’s Down’s Syndrome team.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Police said the woman was crossing against the light when she was hit by a teenage driver.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • That’s probably why class-crossed lovers make such fertile ground for fiction—look at Heathcliff and Cathy, or poor Scudder and Maurice.
    Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

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