1
as in directions
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
a young go-getter who lost his moral compass in the course of his quest for fame and fortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in scopes
an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends
within the compass of my voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in edges
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something
within the compass of the city walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in implements
to carry through (as a process) to completion
attempting more than his modest abilities could compass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circles
to travel completely around
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in plots
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
the rebels are compassing the assassination of the king
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in surrounds
to form a circle around
a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in knows
to have a clear idea of
the concept that the earth is billions of years old is one that the average mind struggles to compass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compasses
Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 Jan. 2026
Over 1,000 years ago, explorers began using compasses, typically made with a floating cork or piece of wood with a magnetized needle in it, to find their way.
—Scott Brame, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Starting in 1910, the company served as the secretive supplier to the commandos of the Italian Navy, starting out crafting precision instruments such as gun sights and luminescent compasses before creating its first watches in 1935.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
Orienteering is an outdoor sport that requires athletes to navigate between checkpoints using maps and compasses.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
In ordinary magnetic materials, unpaired electrons behave like tiny compasses and eventually align with one another.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 Jan. 2026
Over 1,000 years ago, explorers began using compasses, typically made with a floating cork or piece of wood with a magnetized needle in it, to find their way.
—Scott Brame, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Starting in 1910, the company served as the secretive supplier to the commandos of the Italian Navy, starting out crafting precision instruments such as gun sights and luminescent compasses before creating its first watches in 1935.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
Orienteering is an outdoor sport that requires athletes to navigate between checkpoints using maps and compasses.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compasses
Noun
-
Police found evidence that two shooters had armed themselves and shown up there at Gonzalez’s behest, who allegedly relayed directions from Vega-Mendoza.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This honorary mention is designed to recognise individuals and companies who dare to take risks and champion new directions in Nordic drama.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Homegrown Indian brands, such as Bombay Perfumery and Forest Essentials, are in the scopes of beauty experts.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Radar scopes in the tower showed the targets tightening around his position.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Platforms that reach meaningful scale are increasingly being absorbed into the financial core rather than competing indefinitely from the edges.—
Pam Kaur,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
At 836,000 square miles, Greenland is nearly 80 percent ice, a frozen leaf dangling in the far North Atlantic with dramatic, ragged edges, impossibly sheer cliffs that dwarf even El Capitan, and a massive ice sheet as thick as 11,000 feet.—
Tim Neville,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This gives the black some breathing room and implements a little bit of color with the navy blue.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Nutanix Flow implements micro-segmentation to contain threats within isolated network segments and provides disaster recovery orchestration for rapid failover and recovery operations.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pisces February 19 – March 20 Soft encouragement circles your friendships and hopes.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2026
-
For all the talk that circles the retail industry about AI’s promise, the fact is that Americans still fear job loss and replacement because of AI.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
For cyclists, the Coastal Bike Trail plots out a route to see the city and the harbor on two wheels.—
Carolyn Heller,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The teacher then plots revenge by secretly staging the most wildly inappropriate musical imaginable to sabotage the principal’s bid for academic glory.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Most patients show changes in the fluid that surrounds the brain, commonly seen in other viral brain infections.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
On the medal, the Virgil inscription surrounds a young man sitting under a laurel tree, listening to the Muse, and writing down her song.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Willis himself knows a thing or two about managing a team, having led Cohasset to new heights in boys soccer as well.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
-
No one knows what happened next.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compasses. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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