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
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
In an attempt to become the first woman pilot to circumnavigate Earth, Earhart, along with navigator Fred Noonan, vanished in 1937 over the Pacific Ocean.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
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
In an attempt to become the first woman pilot to circumnavigate Earth, Earhart, along with navigator Fred Noonan, vanished in 1937 over the Pacific Ocean.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigate
Verb
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Whether clients are traversing by foot, vehicle, or plane, ALE provides the infrastructure for them.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
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Kamai trains in celestial navigation, using the stars, winds and waves to traverse the ocean without modern instruments.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The case that almost wasn’t A March 2023 Cal-OSHA investigation found that the employer bypassed a safety device, making flipping the potentially deadly switch easier.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Rodriguez, for his part, must justify UM’s faith in him after the Canes bypassed adding a starting center in the transfer portal for the first time in four years.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As a 10-day moon-circling mission, Artemis II primarily serves as a test flight, with the four-person crew testing systems and hardware ahead of a future landing.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The crew plans to circle the moon as a step toward a lunar landing in 2028 (similar to the way Apollo 8's flight around the moon paved the way for Apollo 11).—
Aaron Gilchrist,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The unifying aspect of the recent cases is that they're crafted to circumvent Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which Congress passed in 1996 and President Bill Clinton signed into law.—
Jennifer Elias,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
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Congress is on a two-week recess, but the Senate and House could move to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP as early as Thursday using a procedure known as unanimous consent that allows the chambers to circumvent formal voting as long as no member objects.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Together, these two programs have lofted a total of more than 1,600 payloads to orbit — including 143 on Transporter-1 in January 2021, which still holds the single-launch record.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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The world’s first lunar visitors orbited the moon on Apollo 8.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Takaoka played a long arcing ball-ahead to Ocampo, who avoided goalkeeper James Pantemis — who had charged off his line — and rolled a shot from the edge of the penalty area inside the back post and into a wide-open net.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Refrain from entering water that might carry an electric current and avoid walking through floodwaters.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the Base — the area above the sheer cliffs that encircle Tristan and below Queen Mary’s Peak — a group herds sheep down from the mountain.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
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Some people lamented on social media the empty spaces around a pond that used to be seamlessly encircled by flowering pink blossoms.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officials have identified the pedestrian who was killed in February after he was hit by an 18-wheeler while attempting to cross a freeway in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
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There are no roads, only rivers to cross, mud to navigate, and wildlife to avoid.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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