circumnavigating

verb

present participle of circumnavigate
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

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
  1. circling
  2. bypassing
  3. traversing
  4. circumventing
  5. orbiting
  6. avoiding
  7. encircling
  8. crossing
Verb
  • The evening of the shoot, there was frequent hum of tourist helicopters circling the island, and a few party boats blasting music, which threatened to put a damper on the plans.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
  • Minutes later the pike was just under the surface, circling close to the boat.
    — Jack G. Mell, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
Definition of circling
Verb
  • The country was able to keep its oil business mostly afloat by bypassing the strait with pipelines that shipped oil to a port in Yanbu on the other side of the nation.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Many stores now donate directly to food pantries, bypassing the food bank altogether.
    — John Lowrey, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of bypassing
Verb
  • From the Higgs to the Next Frontier The road to the FCC remains long, and Europe has been traversing it for years.
    — Florencia Canelli, Scientific American, 1 July 2026
  • Spending a year in California versus a month traversing small town America is a big difference.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • However, this article argues that true innovation in these sectors comes from embracing, not circumventing, constraints.
    — Nir Bashan, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Australia doubled the maximum penalty imposed on social media companies that fail to comply with the ban on under-16 users, as evidence grew that children are circumventing restrictions.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of circumventing
Verb
  • The moment was captured 263 miles (423 kilometers) above Earth's Atlantic Ocean from aboard the space station orbiting our planet.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 9 July 2026
  • Launching today, the Fi Ultra is the world’s first dog tracker to adopt T-Satellite, T-Mobile’s implementation of Starlink Mobile, which uses orbiting satellites to beam data to phones on the ground.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 July 2026
Definition of orbiting
Verb
  • There are pros and cons to trying to build strategies based on avoiding specific companies, noted Warren Hurt, chief investment officer at F&M Trust.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Still, avoiding a direct conversation will only increase the pressure.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • Cheers roared from the crowd encircling the concrete arena as two skateboarders slammed into each other at top speed.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • In the days since, passage in the Strait has slowed considerably, with only 25 ships crossing on Wednesday, according to Kpler data.
    — Elise Spenner, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • Some trucks crossing the border have had to wait anything from a few hours to several days in the wake of the war, the people said, adding that those delays have worsened in the past month.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of crossing

Browse Nearby Words

circumnavigates
circumnavigating
circumscribe
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Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigating. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on circumnavigating

Nglish: Translation of circumnavigating for Spanish Speakers

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