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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • For Huelsman, fulfilling data requests is especially challenging because Elevate Textiles operates across 17 countries, which means dealing with a diverse array of supply chain partners with their own regional practices.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Austin Smotherman earned his first win on the PGA Tour in early October at the Bank of Utah Championship, checking the box of fulfilling a lifelong dream.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of fulfilling
Verb
  • These are the questions circling in the aftermath of Tuesday’s bloodbath.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The Hollywood Reporter first reported in October 2025 that Driver was circling the project.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of circling
Verb
  • For those who have stood beneath Zion's towering sandstone cliffs and immediately started plotting a return trip, this little pairing is a fun way to keep the scenery close.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In the newer episode, the older Darvin travels back in time to assassinate Kirk, plotting his revenge with a bomb implanted in an unfortunate tribble.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of plotting
Verb
  • The core plasma must stay searingly hot for atomic nuclei to fuse, but the surrounding chamber walls must stay cool enough to avoid structural failure.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Mike Katinsky, an ACLU volunteer election monitor, said the attention surrounding Fulton County's election operations may have contributed to efforts to maintain transparency.
    — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • The model provides a baseline for understanding what a planet’s atmosphere might look like without life.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The key is understanding your audience’s habits, wants and needs, then communicating with them in the right places.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of understanding
Verb
  • Richard Bridgford, another lawyer for the Eaton fire victims, said the legal maneuvering isn’t accomplishing much.
    — Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But OpenAI also beefed up its own agents this year by launching its Codex coding app in February and ChatGPT Work agent in July for accomplishing multistep tasks like writing a brief or analysis.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of accomplishing
Verb
  • Feast on fresh fruits, pastries, cold cuts, omelettes, and traditional foul mudammas while traversing the ancient waterway.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The rest of the bill features a wide-ranging list of artists traversing country, rock, hip-hop, electronic and more.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • The encircling coils generate the magnetic field needed to confine the plasma, while the smaller shaping magnets fine-tune its configuration.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 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 11 Nov. 2026.

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