CIRCUMNAVIGATE Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

circumnavigate

verb

ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgāt

Definition of circumnavigate

as in to traverse

to travel completely around the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to bypass

to avoid by going around we can circumnavigate the traffic jam if we take the next exit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of circumnavigate That said, Amazon also has a history of disabling apps that let users circumnavigate its home screen that Fire devices, including Fire Sticks and Fire TVs, have increasingly used for ads. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026 Chicagoan Bill Pinkney sailed into Boston Harbor having circumnavigated the globe all by himself, the third American and the first Black person to have accomplished the feat by taking a route that included the five southernmost capes. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026 The first Global Ocean Sampling Expedition, which used Venter’s own yacht, circumnavigated the globe between 2005 and 2006. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026 The Apollo 8 photo, however, showed Earth reemerging into view, rather than disappearing, as astronauts Bill Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell circumnavigated the moon. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate

Verb

That certainly is the case traversing from the old 13th District to the new one.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Set on a mysterious island ravaged by floods and warring armies, a masked boy and girl must traverse atmospheric environments, rescue friends, and confront nightmarish monsters.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of traverse

Verb

Current and former employees say that the decision to restart injection came from the top of the oil division, including Strickland and McGinnis, among others — bypassing staff who objected to the plan.

— Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026
Because they are structured as a purchase of future receivables rather than a traditional loan, MCAs bypass the lengthy underwriting process of traditional banks.

— Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of bypass

Verb

All three said West Point appears to be circumventing the judge's ruling by using a different justification to continue to enforce its speech rules.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
To circumvent the council’s rulings, Khan created a development corporation, a mayoral body that could take control of the area and assume planning powers from the council.

— Will Barker, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of circumvent

Verb

Across the 13-episode first season (critics received three episodes for review), the pair immerse themselves in a newlywed bubble while trying to embrace the chaotic family and friends who orbit them — often infiltrating their private moments.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
The two-week mission featuring four astronauts will be confined to orbit around Earth — no moon trip this time.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of orbit

Verb

The plan could affect not only the path that encircles the park, used by large numbers of residents, but also the golf course’s historic grove of Japanese cherry trees.

— Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
In 2010, Cassini watched as a giant storm formed in Saturn's northern hemisphere, then grew to encircle the entire planet through 2011.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of encircle

Verb

Jude described himself as a Republican who is willing to cross party lines.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
The buzzy Canadian singer kicks it off next February in Berlin before crossing the rest of Europe then heading back to North America for a round of Canadian and West Coast dates.

— Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of cross

Browse Nearby Words

circumlocutory

circumnavigate

circumnavigated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of circumnavigate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes