1
as in circled
to travel completely around
the first ship to circumnavigate the globe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bypassed
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 circumnavigated
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
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
Best Towns to Visit Getaria A small, underrated fishing village, Getaria is the birthplace of Balenciaga and Juan Sebastián Elcano (who circumnavigated the world with Magellan).
—Michelle Arellano Martin, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
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
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
Best Towns to Visit Getaria A small, underrated fishing village, Getaria is the birthplace of Balenciaga and Juan Sebastián Elcano (who circumnavigated the world with Magellan).
—Michelle Arellano Martin, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigated
Verb
-
From the air, a police helicopter circled the area while officers set up blockades on the ground and deployed a K-9 unit in an effort to track down the suspect.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Onboard anti-collision alarms sounded in both cockpits and both planes circled the airport before making safe landings.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Digital rights management is similarly criticized for giving rights holders too much power to control information by creating digital locks that cannot legally be bypassed.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Mythos’s unexpected sandbox breakout—which bypassed its own security guardrails—has surprised many security researchers and sparked vital discussions.—
Kemba Walden,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Once traversed by Genghis Khan, this is a focal point of Scythian-Turkic culture, whose arid slopes somehow sustain nomadic life that demands constant attentiveness to the environment.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Apr. 2026
-
But hardly any ships have traversed the strait since the war began in late February.—
Justin Fishel,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The leak caused consternation from department brass, Moers alleged, who were not happy that his commission had circumvented proper channels to receive emergency funding.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
David Anders is the Wachtell Lipton attorney leading the NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the league’s salary cap rules to compensate Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This referred to the fact that the Cyg X-1 jets seemed to be getting deflected in different directions as the star and black hole orbited each other.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Every element had been carefully considered, Tabitha noted, the suave austerity of the Wassily chairs orbited by antique rugs and estate-sale paintings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Given the importance of preserving relations with the FCC, which has a say over a range of local station matters and must approve any mergers involving the transfer of broadcast licenses, LeGeyt has deliberately avoided a direct clash with his Washington counterpart.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In Ukraine, Harry stepped into territory traditionally avoided by the royals.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The country's National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled Hezbollah fighters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The country’s National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, include near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled fighters with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.—
Samy Magdy,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
McFarlane’s career crossed paths with other current Chelsea figures before his arrival at Cobham.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The two first crossed paths in 2001, when Rich Boy was Maurice Richards, a soon-to-be dropout at Tuskegee University, studying mechanical engineering.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigated. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
