1
as in circling
to travel completely around
the first ship to circumnavigate the globe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 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
-
Other wearable tech companies have been circling this space.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
Soon the sky would grow thick with circling helicopters and would stay that way for more than a week, the cutting of their rotor blades ominous and heartbreaking.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
As a result, some founders are bypassing traditional venture capital altogether and turning to Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), a fundraising model that allows companies to raise capital directly from everyday investors while retaining greater ownership and control.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Educators themselves appear particularly drawn to how the platform reinforces strong instructional practices rather than bypassing them.—
Wyles Daniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
For him, the perfect Sunday involves traversing the city, checking out record stores and visiting museums like the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Carrasco originally planned to travel to the United States independently and then bring the rest of the family, but Aponte insisted the family face the journey, which included traversing several countries and jungles, together.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg, who has cooperated with an NBA investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers possibly circumventing the salary cap via a no-show endorsement deal with Kawhi Leonard, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Monday.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
-
In 1981, astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen landed the Space Shuttle Columbia on that same dry lake bed, making history as the first orbiting space vehicle to leave Earth using rocket power and come back on an aircraft's wings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
There should be visibility into how the AI works, which means avoiding black box solutions.—
Tomas Gorny,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
McClary said there has been a surge in Americans coming to his nonprofit group and partners across the country to seek help on managing debt and avoiding bankruptcy and debt collectors.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Styled by Brad Goreski, Moore wore a custom cobalt blue Self Portrait gown with an oversized bow encircling the hips, falling into a train.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
-
Bad weather postponed a major construction project on Atlanta's primary highway encircling the city last weekend, but now the traffic chaos is here.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The vote was 198-218, with 19 Republicans crossing the aisle to vote against it and seven Democrats voting for it.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
Catalina is the closest offshore island vacation west of the Mississippi, reachable in about 70 minutes from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point on the smooth, fast-crossing ferries of Catalina Express.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigating. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
