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
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Recent Examples of circumnavigate
Ships would no longer need to circumnavigate South America, braving the treacherous waters off Cape Horn.
—
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 20 Jan. 2025
From 1986 to 1988, thousands of pounds of incinerated soot from Philadelphia circumnavigated the globe on a container ship in search of a buyer.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The narrow route, first opened by the U.S. in 1914, allows cargo vessels to travel between the American continents rather than having to circumnavigate them, reducing transit times.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Shortly after, Lewis circumnavigated the world in M5.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for circumnavigate 
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 20 Jan. 2025
From 1986 to 1988, thousands of pounds of incinerated soot from Philadelphia circumnavigated the globe on a container ship in search of a buyer.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The narrow route, first opened by the U.S. in 1914, allows cargo vessels to travel between the American continents rather than having to circumnavigate them, reducing transit times.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Shortly after, Lewis circumnavigated the world in M5.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
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Their weapon, the Sarmat, is named for centuries-old nomads who traversed the steppe on horse.—
Alfredo Sosa,
The Christian Science Monitor,
14 Feb. 2025
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As Atom and Claudine traverse the countryside and meet various other characters (cast mostly from non-professional actors), the frame takes on a spectral presence.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The complaint, which was joined by Arizona, Illinois and Oregon, argued that Trump was trying to bypass the U.S. Constitution to deny citizenship to tens of thousands of unborn children.—
Melissa Santos,
Axios,
18 Feb. 2025
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Expanding categorical exclusions would allow low-risk projects to bypass NEPA’s unnecessary analysis requirements.—
James Broughel,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Fritz circled the airfield, in an attempt to get the birds to fall in behind.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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Former players, mostly, circling those old, familiar wagons again.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The legal battle gained further attention when, on February 7, a federal appeals court ruled on a procedural matter in the investigation, which had initially considered whether McMahon had circumvented WWE's internal controls to hide these allegations.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
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Other countries under sanctions – Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela – have previously employed clandestine shipping networks to circumvent international scrutiny and sanctions.—
Dominique Soguel,
The Christian Science Monitor,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Rocky worlds orbiting these smaller stars could have rich carbon atmospheres, or even hazes, like Saturn's moon Titan.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2025
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Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away.—
Richard Tribou,
Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In a post on X, the NYPD asked people to avoid the area as the investigation proceeded.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2025
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However, Thompson noted that some movement each day is necessary to avoid tiredness.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The halo, known as an Einstein ring, encircles a galaxy 590 million light-years away, considered close by cosmic standards.—
Gqlshare,
Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2025
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Early in the morning, two armed groups encircled the community of Kenscoff in the mountains above Port-au-Prince.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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How Fentanyl Enters the U.S.: Mexican drug cartels are turning thousands of Americans into fentanyl smugglers, sending an army of couriers who can easily cross between both countries.—
Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
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The returning hostages crossed the border Saturday into Israeli territory and made their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they were reunited with their families.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
15 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near circumnavigate
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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