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
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News of his involvement comes following our story yesterday on McCarthy circling the project.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Harris spent the morning circling the block waiting for news.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officers quickly identified inconsistencies in the caller’s story, including false claims about disabling airport surveillance and bypassing security that does not exist at the facility, Sanschagrin said.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2026
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The bill drew rare bipartisan support, with 10 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting for passage, bypassing GOP leadership using a discharge petition procedure.—
Lisa Mascaro,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Soon, Callaghan — alongside Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz — was traversing the country in a shabby RV, documenting the surreal, perturbing and often hilarious fringes of American culture.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
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Imagine in the small areas of our nervous system, 84 billion cells, each connecting with thousands of others, some traversing these long areas across our brain, crossing over down to the spinal cord, and reaching its appropriate target.—
Marcy Thompson,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump also signed an executive order to pay other workers, circumventing Congress again.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
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Internet users have gotten used to circumventing the restrictions by using virtual private networks, or VPNs, even as the government has been actively blocking those, too.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Astronomers have so far cataloged about 6,000 planets orbiting nearby stars, noted Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, at the news event.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
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The satellite was supposed to join AST SpaceMobile’s orbiting network of satellites designed to provide direct space-to-smart phone service.—
Marcia Dunn,
Fortune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Oil revenue is the linchpin of Russia’s economy, allowing Putin to pour money into the armed forces without worsening inflation for everyday people and avoiding a currency collapse.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Perez said long-term solutions include avoiding terrible real estate deals like the city’s purchase nearly a decade ago of a downtown office building on Ash Street that was filled with asbestos.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If your houseplant was severely pot-bound with encircling roots, trim the overgrown roots back by one-third.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
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In recent years, Beijing has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, even encircling the island by land, air and sea last year.—
Ashish Valentine,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The digital trading platforms rose after Bitcoin prices hit their highest levels since early February, crossing $78,000.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
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The Lyrids will hang around until April 30, crossing paths with the next meteor shower, Eta Aquariids, which is set to peak on May 5 and 6.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigating. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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