CIRCUMNAVIGATE Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

circumnavigate

verb

ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgāt

Definition of circumnavigate

as in to traverse

to travel completely around the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Chicagoan Bill Pinkney sailed into Boston Harbor having circumnavigated the globe all by himself, the third American and the first Black person to have accomplished the feat by taking a route that included the five southernmost capes. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate

Verb

Here the goal is to traverse a sprawling castle, defeating all kinds of monsters and gathering gear and experience points to get stronger.

— Andrew Webster, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
So while Waddington’s landscape looked like a static territory waiting to be traversed, the real landscape changes as cells develop.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of traverse

Verb

Upwards of 80% of the power for the facility will come directly from wind farms operated by the company, bypassing the grid completely, Envision says.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Giulia eventually entered through the back door, inadvertently bypassing the cameras Conor had set up to capture her reaction.

— Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of bypass

Verb

Cosmic death The unnamed exoplanet was discovered circling the white dwarf HS 0209+0832, according to a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
Surveillance video shows three vehicles circling the parking lot before a white Toyota Tacoma barrels through the storefront, shattering glass and sending employees running.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of circle

Verb

These can profoundly affect our orbiting satellites and power grid, so understanding the sun’s magnetic activity actually very much impacts us here on Earth.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
Pioneer 12, also known as the Pioneer Venus Orbiter, spent 14 years orbiting Venus and studying the planet's atmosphere.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of orbit

Verb

Rates actually continued to increase after the Society of Surgical Oncology adopted the guidelines in 2016, even though patients who received the biopsy were not more likely to survive or avoid recurrence.

— Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Clapp said the firm focuses on avoiding highly leveraged companies and floating-rate debt, instead favoring investments with dependable cash flows to support clients over the long term.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoid

Verb

Earlier, the Houthis seized several villages and areas on Taiz's outskirts, paving the way for the rebels to encircle Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city.

— AHMED AL-HAJ, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
On Sunday, the group effectively encircled the key city of Taiz after cutting the main supply route linking it to the interim government capital of Aden.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of encircle

Verb

Each fall, Earth crosses different parts of this sprawling debris stream, producing the overlapping Northern and Southern Taurids and, occasionally, the larger fragments that create spectacular fireballs.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
None of its 2026 releases has crossed $100 million at the domestic box office.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of cross

Browse Nearby Words

circumlocutory

circumnavigate

circumnavigated

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Style

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of circumnavigate

verb

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