Definition of circumnavigatenext
1
as in to traverse
to travel completely around the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
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 Superpressure balloons can last for months and travel long distances, potentially circumnavigating the globe, all the while reporting their position. IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026 Learn about the native flora and fauna at the Seaside Nature Center, or borrow a free bike and cycle the Bike Loop trail that circumnavigates the park. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026 Ko Samui is the third-largest island in the country but remains small enough to be circumnavigated in just a couple of hours by motorbike or car, making neighboring locations easy to access. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025 The 16th-century adventurer, who first circumnavigated the globe by sea in 1522, wavers beneath the pressure of his pursuit, ultimately leading his men to mutiny and madness on the Malay Archipelago. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 18 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
  • Based on its category classification, the robot knows its physical limits, which prevents it from crashing and dynamically redirects the movement to safely slide or traverse along the edge of the singularity boundary.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Several of Scotland’s Great Trails—including the West Highland Way and Great Trossachs Path—pass through the park, traversing some of the country’s highest mountains and most awe-inspiring terrain.
    Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Police said the driver of the black Ford Fusion was headed south on northwest 12th Avenue at a high rate of speed near northwest 188th Street when the driver tried to bypass slow-moving traffic by driving on the swale.
    Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Under former President Jacob Zuma’s administration, a 9,600 MW plan tied to Russia’s Rosatom was struck down by the courts for bypassing parliamentary oversight.
    Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Helicopters were circling over 30 Rockefeller Plaza, home of NBC News, ahead of Charles' arrival.
    Emma Caughlan, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
  • All of it lands at a moment when Quinta do Lago inventory is tight, and buyers are still circling.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Sales agents can circumvent those fees, requesting them from the seller directly, or a third party document site.
    Amancai Biraben, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The leak caused consternation from department brass, Moers alleged, who were not happy that his commission had circumvented proper channels to receive emergency funding.
    Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In the infrared, this could do everything from revealing the large-scale structure of the early Universe to cataloging far more of the asteroids orbiting in Earth’s vicinity.
    JOHN TIMMER, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Traditional geostationary satellites orbit 20,000 miles up.
    Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Players and coaches have become maddeningly mealy-mouthed, striving to avoid upsetting agents, sponsors, owners, fans, thin-skinned politicians, and whoever else might object.
    Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who sits on the Housing and Homelessness Committee, said Friday the recommendations are intended to better align the city’s homelessness response with local needs while avoiding service disruptions and improving long-term coordination.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The country's National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled Hezbollah fighters.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The country’s National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, include near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled fighters with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
    Samy Magdy, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The numbers also highlight how Safonov is making cross claims or sweeping outside his box more than twice the rate Chevalier is, although the Frenchman is more adept with his feet, playing more passes, completing a higher rate.
    Tom Burrows, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • But in a bleak youth job market, there’s a growing recognition that crossing the graduation stage is not always enough to put young people on a path to gainful employment.
    Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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