CIRCUMNAVIGATING Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

circumnavigating

verb

present participle of circumnavigate

as in circling

to travel completely around the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigating

Verb

Imagine Entertainment, was also circling Kraus’ scientifically accurate book.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
If there is indeed an exoplanet circling TIC 4206066, Rabtsevich may not actually be the first to have seen it.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of circling

Verb

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
The developer had planned to build a 27-story tower with 111 luxury condos, but earlier this year added workforce housing under the Live Local Act, effectively bypassing local density and height restrictions.

— Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of bypassing

Verb

Oil drops as Hormuz traffic rebounds Oil prices fell as new data showed crude exports from the Middle East surpassed prewar levels, though any respite may be short-lived as attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz increased.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates between Durango and Silverton, traversing the San Juan National Forest and running along the Animas River.

— Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of traversing

Verb

Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, prisons were a way of circumventing the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
The then-head of the bank also was arrested for allegedly circumventing procedures in releasing the money to the charity.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of circumventing

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 orbiting

Verb

Her style is pithy and blunt, avoiding the ornate sentence structure of classical German.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
However early the experiment might be, the launch is a milestone for an emerging technology that has the potential to help meet AI’s growing demand for compute while avoiding the constraints on resources like power, water, and land on Earth.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet.

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of encircling

Verb

Pedestrians crossing the George Washington Bridge once again have a path of their own.

— Nick Caloway, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Both crossing arms were lowered and warning lights were activated at the Bond Road rail crossing when the man walked onto the tracks and was struck by the train, the Elk Grove Police Department said in a post to social media.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of crossing

Browse Nearby Words

circumnavigates

circumnavigating

circumscribe

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“Circumnavigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigating. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of circumnavigating

verb

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