compass 1 of 2

noun

Definition of compassnext
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

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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

compass

2 of 2

verb

ˈkəm-pəs How to pronounce compass (audio)
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to surround
to form a circle around a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas

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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

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun compass differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of compass are gamut, orbit, range, scope, and sweep. While all these words mean "the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control)," compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.

your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study

When is gamut a more appropriate choice than compass?

While the synonyms gamut and compass are close in meaning, gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.

a performance that ran the gamut of emotions

When is it sensible to use orbit instead of compass?

In some situations, the words orbit and compass are roughly equivalent. However, orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.

within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

Where would range be a reasonable alternative to compass?

The meanings of range and compass largely overlap; however, range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.

the entire range of human experience

When could scope be used to replace compass?

The words scope and compass can be used in similar contexts, but scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.

as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened

In what contexts can sweep take the place of compass?

Although the words sweep and compass have much in common, sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity

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 compass
Noun
Mere months after Lexi Love’s performance as Gilbert Gottfried earned so-disastrous-its-funny praise and enthusiastic hand-wringing, Ru’s Laugh-o-Meter appears to no longer be the challenge’s compass. —Chris Feil, Vulture, 4 July 2025 This clarity becomes your compass for navigating complexity and creating meaningful, lasting impact. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Verb
The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul. —Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Abigail Jackson The adjacent dining area is dedicated to family heirlooms like a set of Allan Gould compass chairs from Kate’s interior designer grandmother and a red vintage rug from her great-grandparents. —Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for compass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compass
  1. direction
  2. scope
  3. perimeter
  4. circle
  5. plot
  6. surround
  7. know
  8. extent
Noun
  • Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard closed at Loop 101 Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale was scheduled to close in both directions at Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) from 9 p.m. July 25 to 5 a.m. July 28 for a widening project, according to ADOT.
    — Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 26 July 2025
  • But huge early bets in the wrong direction can doom your venture.
    — Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Definition of direction
Noun
  • Benjamin Heber Johnson: Honestly, writing a history of this scope is a huge challenge.
    — Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Kentucky's incentives are not unusual in their scope compared to other states and are attractive to the industry, experts said, with the potential to shave millions of dollars off the cost of data center development.
    — Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2025
Definition of scope
Noun
  • Instead of focusing exclusively on perimeter defense models, organizations must understand the types of PII today's bad actors possess—and use that information against them to build strong and sustainable security postures.
    — Damon Fleury, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Firefighters continued to battle the fire on all sides, utilizing heavy equipment in some areas to establish a perimeter on the blaze and extinguish hot spots.
    — Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 20 July 2025
Definition of perimeter
Verb
  • King circled around, put the bicycle on top of the SUV and drove away.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 July 2025
  • It is circled by the 18-hole La Hacienda Golf Course, the only links course in Andalusia with sea views.
    — Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Definition of circle
Verb
  • Heading into the summer, Howe and the decision-makers at St James’ Park were surely plotting how to move forward again.
    — Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • Republicans are plotting a similar scheme in Texas to secure their tenuous hold on Congress.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2025
Definition of plot
Verb
  • There's Union Terminal, surrounded by bright green trees and a streetcar that bisects the edge of Queensgate.
    — Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 31 July 2025
  • Cooked over a crackling fire, surrounded by pitch pines, lightning bugs and scurrying squirrels, even something simple like a skillet of nachos can go from good to remarkable.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
Definition of surround
Verb
  • Crowley, 63, was known as a larger than life figure throughout Kentucky.
    — Jolene Almendarez, The Courier-Journal, 31 July 2025
  • Here's what to know about daylight saving time and Texas' legislation to do away with the practice.
    — Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
Definition of know
Noun
  • The report, released Friday, downplayed the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election by highlighting Obama administration emails showing officials had concluded before and after the presidential race that Moscow had not hacked state election systems to manipulate votes in Trump's favor.
    — Dan Gooding Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
  • The find also hints that many other tyrannosaurs were feathery to some extent, including later giants like Gorgosaurus and T. rex.
    — Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2025
Definition of extent

Browse Nearby Words

compartments
compass
compassed
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Cite this Entry

“Compass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compass. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on compass

Nglish: Translation of compass for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compass

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