Synonyms of compass

compass 1 of 4

noun (1)

1

as in direction

a guiding or motivating purpose or principle

a young go-getter who lost his moral compass in the course of his quest for fame and fortune

Synonyms & Similar Words

• direction
• purpose
• focus
• polestar
• lodestar
• object
• objective
• loadstar
• goal
• intention
• standard
• ambition
• cynosure
• measure
• criterion
• touchstone
• benchmark
• aim
• grade
• yardstick
• target
• aspiration
• dream
• par
• mark

2

as in scope

an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends

within the compass of my voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scope
• extent
• confines
• realm
• range
• width
• amplitude
• reach
• sweep
• breadth
• ambit
• circle
• spectrum
• sphere
• dimension(s)
• domain
• element
• department
• region
• province
• field
• terrain
• discipline
• gamut
• specialty
• panorama
• frontier
• bailiwick
• horizon
• spread
• fief
• fiefdom
• demesne

3

as in perimeter

the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something

within the compass of the city walls

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perimeter
• circumference
• edge
• boundary
• confines
• border
• edging
• rim
• margin
• end
• brim
• periphery
• frame
• skirt
• verge
• fringe
• bound
• hem
• outskirts
• skirting
• extent
• borderline
• lip
• shore
• crest
• cusp
• ceiling
• brink
• mere
• curb
• limitation
• measure
• maximum
• frontier
• demarcation
• ambit
• march
• restriction
• lap
• termination
• borderland
• pale
• selvage

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• center
• heart
• core
• within
• interior
• middle
• inside
• inner

compass

2 of 4

verb (1)

ˈkəm-pəs 

1

as in to accomplish

to carry through (as a process) to completion

attempting more than his modest abilities could compass

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accomplish
• fulfil
• fulfill
• execute
• achieve
• perform
• do
• make
• carry out
• implement
• carry off
• pull off
• complete
• put through
• prosecute
• negotiate
• bring off
• commit
• follow through (with)
• realize
• finish
• practice
• go through
• effect
• perpetrate
• practise
• bring about
• ace
• work (at)
• effectuate
• attain
• engage (in)
• nail
• wind up
• end
• repeat
• reduplicate
• actualize
• reenact

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fail
• slight
• slur
• skimp

2

as in to circle

to travel completely around

the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• circle
• orbit
• traverse
• circuit
• cross
• ring
• round
• encircle
• circumvent
• circumnavigate
• girdle
• circumambulate
• perambulate

3

as in to plot

to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends

the rebels are compassing the assassination of the king

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plot
• scheme
• plan
• intrigue
• contrive
• conspire
• collude
• machinate
• connive
• devise
• engineer
• put up
• map
• design
• hatch
• cook (up)
• shape
• maneuver
• manipulate
• brew
• counterplot
• concoct
• jockey
• lay out
• frame

4

as in to surround

to form a circle around

a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas

Synonyms & Similar Words

• surround
• circle
• ring
• encircle
• inclose
• encompass
• enclose
• embrace
• gird
• girdle
• wall
• environ
• wreathe
• fence (in)
• circumscribe
• hem (in)
• close in
• beset
• swarm
• intrench
• cordon (off)
• entrench
• besiege
• invest

5

as in to know

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

• know
• understand
• grasp
• decipher
• recognize
• comprehend
• see
• appreciate
• sense
• get
• discern
• perceive
• realize
• twig
• conceive
• make out
• tumble (to)
• cotton (to or on to)
• apprehend
• make
• catch on (to)
• seize
• dig
• behold
• register
• assimilate
• intuit
• savvy
• pick up on
• catch
• decode
• cognize
• grok
• take in
• fathom
• absorb
• digest
• penetrate
• pierce

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• miss
• misread
• mistake
• misunderstand
• misinterpret
• misconstrue
• misperceive
• misapprehend
• misconceive

compasses

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural of compass

1

as in directions

a guiding or motivating purpose or principle

a young go-getter who lost his moral compass in the course of his quest for fame and fortune

Synonyms & Similar Words

• directions
• purposes
• foci
• lodestars
• focuses
• objects
• standards
• objectives
• intentions
• goals
• measures
• loadstars
• polestars
• touchstones
• ambitions
• cynosures
• criteria
• benchmarks
• yardsticks
• grades
• pars
• aspirations
• criterions
• targets
• aims
• dreams
• marks

2

as in scopes

an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends

within the compass of my voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scopes
• realms
• confines
• extents
• ranges
• dimensions
• widths
• amplitudes
• circles
• sweeps
• reaches
• spheres
• spectrums
• elements
• breadths
• ambits
• domains
• spectra
• departments
• provinces
• regions
• disciplines
• specialties
• frontiers
• fields
• fiefs
• terrains
• panoramas
• bailiwicks
• horizons
• gamuts
• spreads
• fiefdoms
• demesnes

3

as in edges

the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something

within the compass of the city walls

Synonyms & Similar Words

• edges
• perimeters
• circumferences
• edgings
• boundaries
• borders
• confines
• margins
• skirts
• rims
• brims
• frames
• peripheries
• bounds
• verges
• hems
• ends
• fringes
• cusps
• outskirts
• borderlines
• skirtings
• crests
• lips
• demarcations
• extents
• measures
• curbs
• limitations
• brinks
• frontiers
• shores
• ceilings
• restrictions
• maximums
• maxima
• marches
• borderlands
• ambits
• laps
• terminations
• meres
• selvages
• pales

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• centers
• hearts
• cores
• insides
• interiors
• middles
• inners
• withins

compasses

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of compass

1

as in fulfils

to carry through (as a process) to completion

attempting more than his modest abilities could compass

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fulfils
• implements
• fulfills
• accomplishes
• performs
• does
• executes
• makes
• achieves
• carries out
• carries off
• goes through
• pulls off
• brings off
• practices
• follows through (with)
• prosecutes
• effects
• brings about
• puts through
• commits
• negotiates
• realizes
• nails
• practises
• completes
• finishes
• aces
• works (at)
• perpetrates
• engages (in)
• winds up
• ends
• effectuates
• repeats
• reduplicates
• attains
• reenacts
• actualizes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fails
• slurs
• slights
• skimps

2

as in circles

to travel completely around

the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• circles
• orbits
• circuits
• rings
• traverses
• crosses
• encircles
• rounds
• girdles
• circumnavigates
• circumvents
• circumambulates
• perambulates

3

as in plots

to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends

the rebels are compassing the assassination of the king

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plots
• schemes
• plans
• intrigues
• engineers
• colludes
• maps
• connives
• conspires
• contrives
• devises
• machinates
• designs
• hatches
• maneuvers
• puts up
• cooks (up)
• shapes
• brews
• counterplots
• concocts
• manipulates
• jockeys
• frames
• lays out

4

as in surrounds

to form a circle around

a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas

Synonyms & Similar Words

• surrounds
• circles
• rings
• encircles
• incloses
• girdles
• encompasses
• environs
• wreathes
• walls
• girds
• encloses
• embraces
• circumscribes
• fences (in)
• closes in
• swarms
• hems (in)
• besets
• intrenches
• cordons (off)
• besieges
• entrenches
• invests

5

as in knows

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

• knows
• senses
• understands
• deciphers
• recognizes
• comprehends
• sees
• grasps
• appreciates
• twigs
• gets
• registers
• tumbles (to)
• discerns
• realizes
• intuits
• apprehends
• catches on (to)
• perceives
• makes
• digs
• conceives
• savvies
• makes out
• seizes
• cottons (to or on to)
• picks up on
• beholds
• catches
• assimilates
• cognizes
• decodes
• fathoms
• groks
• takes in
• digests
• absorbs
• penetrates
• pierces

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misses
• mistakes
• misreads
• misconceives
• misunderstands
• misinterprets
• misconstrues
• misperceives
• misapprehends

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of compass

Noun

Inside a self care mindset, taking a pause to find your own inner compass is the key to navigating the future of work. —Chris Westfall, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025

And he’s got a really good compass of what needs to happen in the moment. —Justin Curto, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025

Verb

The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul. —Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

Abigail Jackson The adjacent dining area is dedicated to family heirlooms like a set of Allan Gould compass chairs from Kate’s interior designer grandmother and a red vintage rug from her great-grandparents. —Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2024