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 fulfils
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
Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
-
In 1922, Alexander Friedmann worked out, fully, the equations that governed a Universe that was isotropically (the same in all directions) and homogeneously (the same in all locations) filled with any type of matter, radiation, or other form of energy.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Danish police said the drones in Denmark came from different directions, turning their lights on and off, before eventually disappearing after several hours.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
On April 28, when the existing cable failed, radios were silenced for 30 seconds and radar scopes went dark for 90 seconds.—
Pete Muntean,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Clearly delineate roles and scopes.—
Vinayak Mahtani,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The edges of the island would also create new trip hazards, the committee said.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The menu circles the room to appreciative murmurs.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
25 Sep. 2025
-
But Harjo circles a fascinating and mischievous idea with Lee.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
LaBeouf plays a character named Clodio Pulcher, who plots against Cesar.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Loktev’s film chronicles the Russian government’s systematic crackdown on journalists in late 2021 and early 2022 as Vladimir Putin plots his invasion of Ukraine.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The spread of banchan—side dishes that fill out a traditional Korean meal—that surrounds the central grill serves as a choose-your-own-adventure map for perfectly embellishing your meats of choice.—
Irene Yoo
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The two galaxies, named NGC 4532 and DDO 137, are in fact falling into the Virgo Cluster at 547 miles (880 kilometers) per second, and in doing so are plowing through a vast cloud of gas that surrounds the cluster.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Treatment centers, everyone knows, are a racket.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Zanni really knows how to drag it out, and criminal thoughts creep into my mind.—
Domenico Starnone,
The Atlantic,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Like John Cassavetes and Martin Scorsese, Jaglom knows how to push a scene into realms of such emotional nakedness that the viewer starts to feel like a voyeur looking in on relationships that are none of his or her business.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The first woman and person of color to visit lunar realms.—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compasses. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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