1
as in directions
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 scopes
an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends
within the compass of my voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in edges
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 implements
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 circles
to travel completely around
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in plots
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 surrounds
to form a circle around
a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in knows
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
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Recent Examples of compasses
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
Pilots learn to navigate using maps and compasses, as well as natural cues such as stars and terrain features including rivers, bridges and other landmarks to orient themselves and move toward friendly forces.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Likewise, this administration has demonstrated a talent for sudden pivots — foreign policy statements that change overnight, budget proposals that evaporate by morning, and messaging that suggests the communications team may be using different maps, compasses and time zones.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
In ordinary magnetic materials, unpaired electrons behave like tiny compasses and eventually align with one another.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 Jan. 2026
Over 1,000 years ago, explorers began using compasses, typically made with a floating cork or piece of wood with a magnetized needle in it, to find their way.
—Scott Brame, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Starting in 1910, the company served as the secretive supplier to the commandos of the Italian Navy, starting out crafting precision instruments such as gun sights and luminescent compasses before creating its first watches in 1935.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
Orienteering is an outdoor sport that requires athletes to navigate between checkpoints using maps and compasses.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Xiao believes that this technology will be applicable to a wide range of devices, such as magnetic sensors for hard drives, electronic compasses, underground oil exploration and drillings, and non-volatile magnetic memories in PCs and smartphones.
—Dexter Johnson, IEEE Spectrum, 7 June 2017
Noun
As for steering a buggy to the Artemis base, compasses don’t work on the moon, and dust will adhere to optics, so NASA has pioneered plans to use Earth’s Galileo and GPS satellites to navigate.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
Pilots learn to navigate using maps and compasses, as well as natural cues such as stars and terrain features including rivers, bridges and other landmarks to orient themselves and move toward friendly forces.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Likewise, this administration has demonstrated a talent for sudden pivots — foreign policy statements that change overnight, budget proposals that evaporate by morning, and messaging that suggests the communications team may be using different maps, compasses and time zones.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
In ordinary magnetic materials, unpaired electrons behave like tiny compasses and eventually align with one another.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 Jan. 2026
Over 1,000 years ago, explorers began using compasses, typically made with a floating cork or piece of wood with a magnetized needle in it, to find their way.
—Scott Brame, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Starting in 1910, the company served as the secretive supplier to the commandos of the Italian Navy, starting out crafting precision instruments such as gun sights and luminescent compasses before creating its first watches in 1935.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
Orienteering is an outdoor sport that requires athletes to navigate between checkpoints using maps and compasses.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Xiao believes that this technology will be applicable to a wide range of devices, such as magnetic sensors for hard drives, electronic compasses, underground oil exploration and drillings, and non-volatile magnetic memories in PCs and smartphones.
—Dexter Johnson, IEEE Spectrum, 7 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compasses
Noun
-
Striping, an optical illusion, comes from the color differences of grass blades bending in opposite directions.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
-
Ramsbottom was at his desk when the drone smashed through the workspace's tin ceiling, spraying shrapnel in all directions, and lodging a chunk of glass in the back of his head.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
During their recent visit, the three docents set up scopes to zoom in on the nest.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
-
The Orion Nebula, a showpiece easily visible in small scopes or binoculars below Orion’s Belt, is a bright eyepiece-filling gem.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Blue jeans also have sharp edges from zippers and rivets that can snag delicate fabrics like a nylon blouse if they are washed together.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
-
The story follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Chelsea’s stable of wingers may be less confident of their future prospects if Alonso implements his Leverkusen system.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Leo will meet migrants in the Canary Islands, continuing Pope Francis’s focus on refugee outreach as Spain implements a historic legalization program for half a million unauthorized residents.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
That process moves forward, then circles back, then moves again.—
Felysha Walker
May 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 May 2026
-
Enjoy a coffee break at The Lookout at Lake Poway before the group circles back.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Goldman here plots the earnings-revisions trend for 2027 among AI-infrastructure plays, energy companies, the overall S & P 500 and the rest of the S & P outside of AI and energy.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
While the story is fundamentally the same as the original production — man discovers wife is having an affair, man then plots for his wife’s murder, man then must evade the cops — Hatcher brings the story to the 21st century in many ways.—
Amy Reyes
May 14,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
As Coltrane and Isaiah’s relationship grows into outright hatred, the series surrounds them with three women whose wants sometimes align with these men, sometimes not.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
-
Amid the early-spring lightness of the filmmaking, Fukada values softly plainspoken earnestness of emotion, as his repressed, recessive characters learn to listen to their own impulses in the general stillness that surrounds them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The backstory Robin Hutson knows hotels.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
Rashad knows that even now, at this late stage in hip-hop’s evolution, rappers are expected to guard their reputations carefully.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compasses. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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