1
as in to traverse
to travel completely around the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

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2
as in to bypass
to avoid by going around we can circumnavigate the traffic jam if we take the next exit

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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 circumnavigate The Drake Passage also gained attention online thanks to the Royal Caribbean 9-Month World Cruise, which circumnavigated the globe from December 2023 to September 2024. Bailey Richards, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025 More recently, Chinese warships have been circumnavigating Australia’s coastline for more than three weeks and holding wargames near New Zealand, two unprecedented developments that have rattled the U.S. allies. Aris Folley, The Hill, 8 Mar. 2025 Pitt, Kosinski and Bruckheimer circumnavigated the Formula 1 global circuit from Silverstone to Las Vegas, ending in Abu Dhabi for production (hence the film’s reported $300 million budget). Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025 The Chinese flotilla that circumnavigated Australia consisted of a replenishment ship, which supported two warships all the way. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
  • The trail traverses parks, woodlands, pastures, and cemeteries.
    Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
  • The 190-mile trail traverses three national parks and is one of the most popular long-distance hikes in England.
    Mike Nolan, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • There are multiple ways hackers use to bypass fingerprint scanners.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
  • Don’t even think of trying to bypass the French luxury house’s notoriously long waiting lists by tapping the workshop for a classic Birkin or Kelly.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Soon, more of these sneaky clickers are circling, so Ellie makes Dina go and hide.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 11 May 2025
  • But their season was already circling the drain in that moment.
    The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Estonia said that a Russian military jet violated its airspace on May 13 after the Estonian Navy tried to stop the tanker Jaguar, believed to be in Moscow's shadow fleet that circumvents oil sanctions.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
  • Apple claimed the gaming giant violated its policies by introducing a way for users to circumvent Apple’s in-app payment system.
    Jade Walker, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Evidence gleaned from orbiting spacecraft observations, as well as results announced earlier this year from China's Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions, is largely consistent with the existence of at least a weak magnetic field on the early Moon.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
  • Moon rocks brought to Earth during NASA's Apollo missions in the 1960s and '70s, as well as data from orbiting spacecraft, have shown that parts of the lunar surface — particularly on the farside — contain rocks with surprisingly strong magnetic signatures.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Hoerner avoided the tag, which would’ve been the second out of the inning.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 26 May 2025
  • The officer recommended the Palestinians be dressed in army clothes to avoid misidentification.
    Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • By Tuesday evening, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 May 2025
  • Howell got an earful before finally convincing a man to leave a campground almost encircled by the South Toe River.
    Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Some 40,000 cars and trucks cross use the causeway every day, with a sharp increase on holidays or when special events happen at the stadium or the historic Black beach park.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
  • Thousands of tons of food and other vital supplies are waiting near crossing points into Gaza but until it can be safely distributed, around a quarter of the population remains at risk of famine, Renard said.
    Nidal al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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