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
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 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
-
One person was killed and five others were injured after the plane crashed on Laredo’s Loop 20 highway, shutting down traffic in both directions and strewing debris across multiple lanes.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
This year’s Southeast Asia 500, Fortune’s annual ranking of the region’s largest companies by revenue, captures a corporate landscape pulling in two directions at once.—
Andrew Staples,
Fortune,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Permissions are increasingly derived at runtime from natural-language intent in ways that OAuth scopes were never designed to govern.—
Harsh Singhal,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Federal prosecutors allege that Ross and Rhodes concealed their fraud scheme by submitting false documents to CHA, including proposals, scopes of work and invoices.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
-
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The quick video illustrates how the various Captain's Crunch implements unfurl and swap components.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The book circles political concerns that remain relevant today, including empire, caste prejudice, and the dangers of despotism and corruption.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
One of Geneva Lake's main attractions is the public walking path, which circles the entire lake for over 20 miles.—
Katy Spratte Joyce,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
An engineer plots a well’s falling output, fits a curve, and projects it forward.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
The same teenager who drafts op-eds to send to places like the Times plots his next battle attack.—
Liana Handler
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
An arched ceiling soars above the living room, where geometric tile surrounds the fireplace and French doors open to the yard.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
-
What surrounds that figure is harder to parse, because two loud and opposing narratives are vying for attention.—
Tonya M. Evans,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Calmus knows firsthand what NICU families face.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
From Louis through the book, and then his mother knows exactly how to string him along, when to give him love and when to take it away.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compasses. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
