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
Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
As for steering a buggy to the Artemis base, compasses don’t work on the moon, and dust will adhere to optics, so NASA has pioneered plans to use Earth’s Galileo and GPS satellites to navigate.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
Pilots learn to navigate using maps and compasses, as well as natural cues such as stars and terrain features including rivers, bridges and other landmarks to orient themselves and move toward friendly forces.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Likewise, this administration has demonstrated a talent for sudden pivots — foreign policy statements that change overnight, budget proposals that evaporate by morning, and messaging that suggests the communications team may be using different maps, compasses and time zones.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
So many role-playing games spoonfeed you with compasses and waypoints and fourth-wall-breaking warnings.
—Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
As for steering a buggy to the Artemis base, compasses don’t work on the moon, and dust will adhere to optics, so NASA has pioneered plans to use Earth’s Galileo and GPS satellites to navigate.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
Pilots learn to navigate using maps and compasses, as well as natural cues such as stars and terrain features including rivers, bridges and other landmarks to orient themselves and move toward friendly forces.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Likewise, this administration has demonstrated a talent for sudden pivots — foreign policy statements that change overnight, budget proposals that evaporate by morning, and messaging that suggests the communications team may be using different maps, compasses and time zones.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
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
-
If anyone must drive near the area, MDFR warned that intermittent road closures could be possible, and that motorists should stay alert and follow all traffic directions.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
-
In the video, the Academy Award winner is shown giving clear directions to those gathered for his autograph or to snap a photo with him.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
The defense argued the searches were outside the scopes of the various search policies and police were illegally looking for incriminating evidence rather than performing legitimate safety or inventory searches.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
During their recent visit, the three docents set up scopes to zoom in on the nest.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Sometimes they are flattered, invited inside, and quietly stripped of their sharp edges.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The most valuable goods sit at the center of the bazaar, with prices becoming more accessible toward the outer edges.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
And so use your human attributes as a competitive advantage to sift through the results while everyone else takes the AI output and implements it blindly.—
Nir Bashan,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Chelsea’s stable of wingers may be less confident of their future prospects if Alonso implements his Leverkusen system.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The issue circles back to the gigantic investment needed to mine that rich lode when the top names in tech are digging as well.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
But even that comic tension threatens to rip as the painfully thin story repeatedly circles the same disputes without deepening them.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Goldman here plots the earnings-revisions trend for 2027 among AI-infrastructure plays, energy companies, the overall S & P 500 and the rest of the S & P outside of AI and energy.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
While the story is fundamentally the same as the original production — man discovers wife is having an affair, man then plots for his wife’s murder, man then must evade the cops — Hatcher brings the story to the 21st century in many ways.—
Amy Reyes
May 14,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The same energy surrounds this modest character drama from first-time writer-director David Drake, which features everyone’s favorite supporting scene-stealer Margo Martindale in a starring role.—
Jason Bailey,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
-
What might have played effectively live on stage feels brutally stilted and over-egged here, especially as Maras surrounds his and Haig’s weakest material with the visual language of prestige cinema.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Nobody knows how often adverse events occur, said Kristen Nixon, a Johns Hopkins University researcher who has studied posts about weight loss drugs on Reddit, a popular online forum.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
She’s made a career out of being a normal person who knows a lot about technology but never gets carried away by sci-fi fantasies.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compasses. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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