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
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • This strategy empowers community banks with advanced AI, fulfilling Jack Henry's mission for their success.
    — Peter High, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of fulfilling
Verb
  • The Wonsleys and Wells’ coach went out to Horn Island early that morning, circling the island by boat and walking on shore trying to find the teenager.
    — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026
  • And apparently, some of the locals are already circling the competition venues.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of circling
Verb
  • Germany did not make Forbes’ list of The Best Places To Retire Abroad In 2026, but France and Spain did (my son studied in Spain last year and has been plotting a return).
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the situation at home is such that his wealth is being consumed by the Suitors, who are plotting against his son.
    — Daniel Mendelsohn, The New York Review of Books, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of plotting
Verb
  • Research among American surgeons has shown that work-home conflict is strongly associated with burnout and emotional distress​, suggesting that the conflict surrounding demanding schedules may be more consequential than the schedules themselves.
    — Alexandra Kharazi, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Progressive Democratic politicians have won major electoral victories across the country in recent months amid growing frustrations surrounding inequality, affordability and potential threats to job security posed by artificial intelligence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • For business leaders, understanding tokens is becoming essential for budgeting AI projects, comparing models and controlling costs.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • CFOs are seeing only aggregate bills without understanding the underlying drivers.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of understanding
Verb
  • On the cusp of accomplishing it for the first time, they were dismissed like a steward holding a gravy boat.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The team at Sneaker Politics is celebrating the retailer’s 20th year in business by accomplishing a long-time dream — opening a store in Houston, Texas.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 24 July 2026
Definition of accomplishing
Verb
  • His adventures traversing a broken land of haunted people and animals may be less the stuff of future myth and more about trauma, but Yoon brilliantly creates voices for human and canine that make both more whole.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
  • The Leadville 100 Trail Run is an extremely challenging, high-alpine endurance race renowned for not only traversing 100 miles but also scaling a collective 14,000 vertical feet.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 July 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • Champions Nigeria enter with 10 stars encircling the crest on their jerseys, having won 10 of the previous 13 WAFCONs, and looking to add an 11th.
    — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • The stone is halo-set on a pavé band—jewelry lingo for having a ring of small white diamonds encircling the stone and covering the band.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 21 July 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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