compassing

verb

present participle of compass
1
as in fulfilling
to carry through (as a process) to completion attempting more than his modest abilities could compass

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circling
to travel completely around the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for compassing
  1. fulfilling
  2. circling
  3. plotting
  4. surrounding
  5. understanding
  6. accomplishing
  7. traversing
  8. encircling
Verb
  • Integrators should also shift conversations beyond fulfilling a scope of work and focus on the business outcomes customers are trying to achieve.
    — Dirk Naylor, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Janet said her husband was fulfilling a longtime dream when the deadly flood struck.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fulfilling
Verb
  • Lavin points to a franchise staple as the moment worth circling.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Sketch the logo, share the joke, test the recipe, or try whatever has been circling your imagination.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of circling
Verb
  • Messages reviewed by the researchers showed agents plotting ways to evade detection, use tools such as Tor and preserve communications even after they had been shut down.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Now, in early 1943, the 33-year-old Flynn — the country’s biggest movie star — was plotting his flight from the American justice system.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of plotting
Verb
  • Other issues surrounding the league — including player safety, the eligibility of transgender players, and the inconsistency of on-court officials — have caused some to question Engelbert’s leadership ability.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Suresh Raut, deputy manager at the Nepal Electricity Authority, who was at the rescue site when the body was discovered, said an 11-man team, including relatives of the missing, has been dispatched to search the surrounding area.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • Following the analytics in this way isn’t all that different from what many media organizations do; understanding the audience is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of longevity in media.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The challenge is finding it and understanding why those earlier decisions were made.
    — Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of understanding
Verb
  • By gradually accomplishing a de-facto annexation of the West Bank, the settlements would require Israeli Jews either to rule over a resentful non-Jewish population of about equal size or to surrender the Jewish identity of their state.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The three-time Olympic gold medalist celebrated accomplishing the feat, though there was a small caveat.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of accomplishing
Verb
  • And yet the nugget of knowledge from his vast experience of traversing 120 yards (110 metres) via two 60-yard lengths in a trench – dug 4ft deep and 3ft wide in a Welsh field – filled with murky, mucky river water is not a tip about technique.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In a satiric short video, Rabid Dogs, 2002, for example, white-collar workers dress upas rapacious canines, clutching Burberry bags in their mouths and traversing cubicles on all fours.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • There are no bleachers, so spectators set up lawn chairs encircling the field.
    — Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Its signature Hémisphère features fine grooves encircling each plate like rings around a planet.
    — Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

compasses
compassing
compassion
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Cite this Entry

“Compassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compassing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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