1
as in direction
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
a young go-getter who lost his moral compass in the course of his quest for fame and fortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in scope
an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends
within the compass of my voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in perimeter
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something
within the compass of the city walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to accomplish
to carry through (as a process) to completion
attempting more than his modest abilities could compass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to circle
to travel completely around
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
the rebels are compassing the assassination of the king
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4
5
as in to know
to have a clear idea of
the concept that the earth is billions of years old is one that the average mind struggles to compass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of compass
Harvard Business Review, 22 Apr. 2026
Alignment lasers and the ship’s gyro-compass ensured the rotors were plumb and correctly oriented.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
At its best, McCarthy’s fiction could compass the strange and often violent order of existence.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for compass
Noun
Values act as both a compass and a driving force, pointing you toward the right goals and motivating you to pursue them.
—Harvard Business Review, 22 Apr. 2026
Alignment lasers and the ship’s gyro-compass ensured the rotors were plumb and correctly oriented.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul.
—Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
At its best, McCarthy’s fiction could compass the strange and often violent order of existence.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for compass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compass
Noun
-
The draft was the league’s first step in this direction.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The legal system is moving in both directions at once.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The plans, however, were complicated by the project’s ambitious scope.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Previously, when Artemis III was conceived as a moon landing test, the mission was expected to last three to four weeks, according to the European Space Agency, but that timeline doesn’t necessarily apply to the new scope.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
For a shape to be convex, any line between two points inside of it or on its perimeter must be fully ensconced within it.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
-
Crews provided structure protection and strengthened containment lines around the fire perimeter.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Chiefs-Broncos fan sniping One thing the announcement of the opener being at Arrowhead Stadium accomplished was fueling the Chiefs-Broncos rivalry online.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2026
-
Their huge mandate makes the party’s bleak local election results and a series of scandals appear that much worse, as some lawmakers within the party are expressing frustrations that Labour should be accomplishing more.—
Isa Soares,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Now, Pakistan is quietly growing its influence in the region while Washington and Tehran circle one another for another round of negotiations.—
Rafi Schwartz,
TheWeek,
13 May 2026
-
Given rumors were circling that José Mourinho was on his way back to manage the team next season, some assumed Pérez would be addressing that, looking to steady the ship after a torrid few months in the Spanish capital.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
In Albany, Jeffries was part of a group of young Black and Latino lawmakers from New York City who played pickup basketball together and plotted legislative strategy over beers at a Bonefish Grill.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
But soon the 50-year-old character actor will be joining the DCU and plotting to conquer and collect the world as Brainiac, the villain of James Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Tennessee’s social media team went up and down Broadway, and the surrounding area in downtown Nashville to find lookalikes of key figures of their 2026 opponents.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
It’s mostly surrounded by embassies and law firms, not cafés or galleries.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Did either network know Krakowski was double dipping?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Sark knows the Texas football team isn't there for academics, or at least, the starters.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compass. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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