1
as in fulfilling
to carry through (as a process) to completion
attempting more than his modest abilities could compass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circling
to travel completely around
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in plotting
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 surrounding
to form a circle around
a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas
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5
as in understanding
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compassing
Verb
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As the labor market lags and six-figure dreams have been dashed, Gen Zers are turning to fulfilling careers—and education makes the top of the list.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026 -
Knowing that a private emotional process can resonate with someone else is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my practice.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Chazelle had been weighing several projects last year including an Evel Knievel pic with Leonardo DiCaprio circling the lead role.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
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The Patriots leaned on Los Angeles offensively and thrashed them on defense, circling Justin Herbert in the first half before swarming him for four sacks in the second.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pine works swiftly to gather information on Roper's deal and even forms an alliance with his boss's girlfriend Jed (Elizabeth Debicki) who is plotting her own escape.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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But Izzy Johnston is plotting a way for her Warriors to rise above all those squads.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But, amid all the energy surrounding the team’s future, the looming lawsuit against Missouri’s stadium-funding plan has drawn little public attention over the past several weeks.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
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Even more striking, the gas moved in a very orderly and coherent way, with far less random motion than the surrounding stars.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The key to making the right decision is understanding all your options beforehand.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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His perspective positions the next wave of transformation not around deeper analysis, but around autonomous action, systems capable of understanding situations, deciding optimal responses, and executing those responses in real time.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Malinin holds the honor as the only skater ever to land a quad axel in competition, first accomplishing the feat in 2022.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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But experts warn that accomplishing anything near a return to full capacity oil production in Venezuela will likely take years.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This technique, sometimes called ski cutting, involves traversing across a slope to try and get unstable snow to slide down.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
13 Jan. 2026
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From January through March 2025, the number of people traversing the gap had plummeted by 98 percent.—
Kevin Maurer,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For two days, Chinese warships and aircraft simulated a blockade of the global chip hub with live-fire exercises encircling the main island, while dozens of rockets struck waters near its northern and eastern ends on Tuesday.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
31 Dec. 2025
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Live-fire activities would take place in five maritime and airspace zones encircling the island on Tuesday, according to information released by the command.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
29 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Compassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compassing. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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