circumnavigating

verb

present participle of circumnavigate
1
as in circling
to travel completely around the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in bypassing
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

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 circumnavigating The countdown clock is officially rolling at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where four astronauts are preparing to take off on the mission of a lifetime — circumnavigating the moon and returning humans to deep space for the first time in five decades as part of Artemis II. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026 Superpressure balloons can last for months and travel long distances, potentially circumnavigating the globe, all the while reporting their position. — IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026 Two hundred seventy-two miles of scenery are signposted by pretty blue and orange ribbons circumnavigating the island, representing the ocean and those ubiquitous mandarins. — Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumnavigating
  1. circling
  2. bypassing
  3. traversing
  4. circumventing
  5. orbiting
  6. avoiding
  7. encircling
  8. crossing
Verb
  • The restaurant was loud, with photographers circling the art patrons like vultures.
    — Eileen Kelly, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The possible deal follows major Hollywood studios and streamers earlier circling the movie inspired by the biggest video game of 2025.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of circling
Verb
  • The second is a patch of stainless-steel microneedles that delivers those pulses into the body, bypassing the skin’s outermost, poorly conductive layer.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The limited-time offer allows New Atlas readers to secure early access to Narwal’s lowest October Prime Day pricing ahead of the official sales event, bypassing the need to wait for the crowded shopping period.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of bypassing
Verb
  • Oil drops as Hormuz traffic rebounds Oil prices fell as new data showed crude exports from the Middle East surpassed prewar levels, though any respite may be short-lived as attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz increased.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates between Durango and Silverton, traversing the San Juan National Forest and running along the Animas River.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • The then-head of the bank also was arrested for allegedly circumventing procedures in releasing the money to the charity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Fragmentation has allowed many powerful figures to get their message across by circumventing traditional media outlets whose questions many CEOs and politicians don’t want to answer.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of circumventing
Verb
  • At the same time, the star’s brightness seemed to dim periodically, suggesting an orbiting planet.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The planetary system is among the most studied in our galaxy, and its star is known to host 30 orbiting comets and a giant disk of dust and debris, which NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope photographed in detail in 2015.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Verb
  • With progress on the full treaty apparently stalled, international negotiations have shifted their focus to discussing responsible behavior in space, such as avoiding the accumulation of space debris.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In many cases, avoiding a bad decision is even more powerful than wanting to make a good one.
    — David Cozzens, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of encircling
Verb
  • Super El Niño impact Inflation in India has been rising for 10 straight months, crossing the central bank's medium-term target of 4% in August, even as economic growth has been resilient so far.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • There were a lot of nuns and priests, and people crossing themselves and crying.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of crossing

Browse Nearby Words

circumnavigates
circumnavigating
circumscribe
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Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumnavigating. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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