1
as in to traverse
to travel completely around
the first ship to circumnavigate the globe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Earlier this year, Chinese naval vessels circumnavigated Australia and disrupted commercial air traffic with live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea.
—
Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
Located beyond Neptune, its extreme orbit circumnavigates the sun once every 25,000 years, taking it beyond our solar system.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 May 2025
No other legal issues to circumnavigate the law can be sought, either.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
While the ship circumnavigated the islands of Japan, our concierge arranged a private meeting with a survivor of the Nagasaki bomb.
—Gillian Telling, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
Located beyond Neptune, its extreme orbit circumnavigates the sun once every 25,000 years, taking it beyond our solar system.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 May 2025
No other legal issues to circumnavigate the law can be sought, either.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
While the ship circumnavigated the islands of Japan, our concierge arranged a private meeting with a survivor of the Nagasaki bomb.
—Gillian Telling, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
-
The scene was more amusing than threatening — onlookers whipped out cell phone cameras to document the sight of horses traversing the grounds.—
Jim Newton,
Mercury News,
12 July 2025
-
Created by the brand’s in-house team, the campaign features Zhao traversing the great outdoors, lush mountains, and cityscapes, eventually fleeing to the moon, all rendered via cutout paper collages.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Although the film raked in over $44 million at the global box office, the need to bypass traditional studios reflects broader patterns where Black women must build alternative systems to access fair compensation.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Now, hackers can bypass that protection and silently infect systems.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The mother duck had been circling in the sky during the rescue efforts which Rodman estimated took about 45 minutes.—
Erik S. Hanley,
jsonline.com,
5 July 2025
-
Just the ache of a man circling the aftermath of his own blindness, knowing the damage can’t be undone.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
The administration’s attacks on science demand a response from Congress, especially when political appointees try to circumvent the law.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
10 July 2025
-
The front companies are designed to help Iran circumvent U.S. sanctions by using offshore accounts to facilitate payments from refineries purchasing the sanctioned oil, according to the Treasury Department.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
The moon orbits Earth in a slight ellipse, so a full moon can sometimes be slightly closer than usual — a supermoon.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
The New Horizons mission — which famously flew by Pluto in 2015 and is now studying the outer solar system — would also be cancelled, along with Juno, the probe that has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Experts say Camp Mystic's requests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp's insurance premiums or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 July 2025
-
While every Italian city is unique in its own ways, there are a couple of ways to avoid being marked as a tourist on your next trip to sample La Dolce Vita.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
As of Monday evening, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 July 2025
-
The tubing with inline emitters, shown at bottom, encircles a citrus.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Hakimi exchanged passes with Dembélé, then crossed for Ruiz, who maintained control despite Federico Valverde’s challenge and scored from 8 yards for his third goal of the tournament.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
-
Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can't spread or cross the containment line.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share