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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

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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 anything beyond that won't necessarily enhance happiness as much as having fulfilling hobbies, relationships and opportunities for personal growth.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Suddenly, Payne went from selling fewer than ten books annually on Alibris to fulfilling orders of ten books, averaging as much as seventy-five to eighty dollars each, at a time on the site.
    — Francesca Mancino, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of fulfilling
Verb
  • Ohtani returned to the lineup Monday and felt something in his arm after a swing, circling his right arm afterward.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Sasha and Morgan have been circling something neither of them has been able to admit to.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 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
  • There’ll still be conversations surrounding the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and most of us anticipate a lot of shocked reactions from those learning when our birthdays and wedding anniversaries take place.
    — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those statues peering down from surrounding buildings seem to nod their approval.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • Supporting and empowering women leaders is also about creating workplaces that are understanding, flexible and aware of the many responsibilities that women balance across their professional and personal lives, Cole stressed.
    — WWD Staff, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Organizations that adopt technology without understanding how that technology enables innovation will struggle, at best, or, more likely, fall behind competitors that move with greater intention.
    — Robbie Morrison, Forbes.com, 14 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
  • Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • There are no bleachers, so spectators set up lawn chairs encircling the field.
    — Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 27 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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