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compass

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verb

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as in to circle
to travel completely around the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun compass differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of compass are gamut, orbit, range, scope, and sweep. While all these words mean "the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control)," compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.

your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study

When is gamut a more appropriate choice than compass?

While the synonyms gamut and compass are close in meaning, gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.

a performance that ran the gamut of emotions

When is it sensible to use orbit instead of compass?

In some situations, the words orbit and compass are roughly equivalent. However, orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.

within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

Where would range be a reasonable alternative to compass?

The meanings of range and compass largely overlap; however, range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.

the entire range of human experience

When could scope be used to replace compass?

The words scope and compass can be used in similar contexts, but scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.

as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened

In what contexts can sweep take the place of compass?

Although the words sweep and compass have much in common, sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity

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 compass
Noun
There’re also subtle details like a compass to orient the player to avoid getting lost in the dense jungle zones, which are broken into bite-sized areas but interconnect via different paths and exits. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025 Israelis and Palestinians are left without a script or compass other than relics of earlier days. Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul. Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Abigail Jackson The adjacent dining area is dedicated to family heirlooms like a set of Allan Gould compass chairs from Kate’s interior designer grandmother and a red vintage rug from her great-grandparents. Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for compass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compass
Noun
  • Mother Monster took home the artist of the year award, best collaboration, best direction, and best art direction at the MTV Video Music Awards, which took place at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
    Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Once the band reaches your chest, slowly reverse the direction, keeping your elbows straight.
    Jakob Roze, Health, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Instead, toxic positivity is an intentional effort to look at difficult situations in an unrealistic way that refuses to consider the full scope of the experience — leading to a person dismissing their feelings and the magnitude of the situation altogether.
    Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Stargate got much of the attention when the UAE-US AI Campus was announced, but is slated to represent just 20% of the project’s total scope.
    Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • As of Thursday evening, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Many require a minimum perimeter of 320 inches, or more than 26 feet.
    Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • This is the most wrestle-centric approach to accomplish that goal.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Phillies' latest surge is that it is being accomplished in the wake of a devastating decision for franchise ace Zack Wheeler, who will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a blood clot.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The altitude is low enough to allow for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly.
    Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Just before midnight on Friday, August 22nd, insects circled the bright lights outside the Texas state capitol and sprinklers watered the lawn.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Casting the sweet-faced and unflappably mellow Dano — Eli Sunday his Vadim Baranov is not — as Putin’s kingmaker also assures that Assayas isn’t keen on high drama, with conversations in conference rooms plotting totalitarian takeover rarely rising above library-voice level.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Neighbors said they were shaken to learn that the killer had been plotting crimes there undetected, raising questions about whether anyone had noticed the cache of weapons building up inside the rental.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Jets also failed twice to convert on two-point conversions, once in the first half (Braelon Allen was stuffed) and again in the fourth quarter — after needlessly burning a timeout, Fields forced a throw to Wilson, surrounded by three defensive backs, in the back right corner of the end zone.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Fire containment Understanding what 14% containment means Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He was reportedly known to law enforcement to wear a shoulder holster on the left side of his body.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In late March, a 3-year-old Leavenworth boy known as EJ fell asleep for the night on a neighbor’s couch after eating grapes.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Compass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compass. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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