1
as in circling
to travel completely around
the first ship to circumnavigate the globe
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bypassing
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 circumnavigating
The countdown clock is officially rolling at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where four astronauts are preparing to take off on the mission of a lifetime — circumnavigating the moon and returning humans to deep space for the first time in five decades as part of Artemis II.
—
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 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
Two hundred seventy-two miles of scenery are signposted by pretty blue and orange ribbons circumnavigating the island, representing the ocean and those ubiquitous mandarins.
—Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2023
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 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
Two hundred seventy-two miles of scenery are signposted by pretty blue and orange ribbons circumnavigating the island, representing the ocean and those ubiquitous mandarins.
—Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigating
Verb
-
Per the logline, in Season 2 the Dars are drowning in dirty cash and Philly’s sketchiest crooks are circling.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
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Other carriers, smelling blood, had been circling for nearly a year if not longer, and within hours of the airline's collapse were scrambling to both fly ticketed Spirit customers and add to their schedules in the absence left by Spirit's yellow planes.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Under former President Jacob Zuma’s administration, a 9,600 MW plan tied to Russia’s Rosatom was struck down by the courts for bypassing parliamentary oversight.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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In November 2024, Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion calling for the city to explore bypassing LAHSA and contracting directly with service providers, citing concerns about fragmentation and accountability.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Experts feared that Asian economies — which imported 90% of the oil traversing through the Strait of Hormuz before the war — could be devastated by a prolonged disruption to Gulf crude production.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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And Just Like That, including designer clothing, Manhattan-traversing stilettos, kitschy furniture, and memorabilia from Big’s death.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The arrangement could be considered circumventing the NBA salary cap, a serious violation of league rules.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Numerous states have accused prediction markets of circumventing state gambling laws, with mixed results in court.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As companies compete for available land on earth and face criticism from neighbors who don’t want to live near data centers, orbiting tech stands to benefit from the absence of neighbors, endless solar power, and cold temperatures that GPUs need.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
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While the payload fairing that protected the lander before deployment reentered Earth’s atmosphere, the upper stage kept orbiting the Earth without ever reentering and burning up, Gray wrote.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Palencia pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Tuesday’s win and had warmed up twice in Monday night’s victory, so Counsell was avoiding the flamethrower on Wednesday.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Existing storage facilities within Beijing’s Sixth Ring Road—an encircling expressway about 15 to 20 miles from the city center—are limited to storing a maximum of three drones or 10 core components while also being required to undergo police inspections.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
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Curve around the city on the Trout Run Trail, an 11-mile asphalt loop encircling the historic downtown.—
Sarah Miller,
Midwest Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Scabbing generally refers to crossing a picket line to work during a labor dispute.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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Europe is weeks away from crossing a critical threshold that represents a severe and immediate shortage of jet fuel, triggering many more flight cancelations and even the possible closures of smaller airports.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigating. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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