1
as in accomplishing
to carry through (as a process) to completion
attempting more than his modest abilities could compass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circling
to travel completely around
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in plotting
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 surrounding
to form a circle around
a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in understanding
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compassing
Verb
-
Often the act of reaching the goal or accomplishing the feat is the end of the story.—
Cassidy Randall,
TIME,
14 Mar. 2025 -
Yet far too often their efforts are stifled — not by a lack of skill or commitment, but by a bureaucratic system that forces them to spend more time navigating administrative hurdles than accomplishing their goals.—
Darrell Crate,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Robinson’s effectiveness for Fulham, detailed here by The Athletic, has created plenty of speculation about whether some of the big clubs might be circling for a January signing.—
Paul Tenorio,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
The circling speculation on the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer is that the Jets will release him or that Rodgers could even retire from the NFL.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Today 30 species fly freely throughout Pelican Island and the surrounding archipelagos off the coast of Vero Beach.—
Kara Franker,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2025
-
In another court challenge, the drama surrounding beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting significantly ramped up this week.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Leaders should focus on outcomes, not hours, ensuring that in-office mandates drive tangible benefits rather than fulfilling outdated management preferences.—
Jason Wingard,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Elizabeth Lilly started her own asset management firm in 2017, fulfilling a dream three decades in the making.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
One audience member, a lifelong resident, commented that funnelling fleeing motorists into a single highway encircling the lake would be dangerous.—
CalMatters,
The Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2025
-
The flower has a row of large outer petals (guard petals) encircling a center of petalodes or small, narrow yellow inner petals.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In many regions, this time-consuming task prevents them from fully participating in education or income-generating activities, caring for family, and achieving their potential.—
Matt Damon,
TIME,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Previously, Steele also founded and led a startup to an IPO after achieving a valuation of $12 billion.—
Natallie Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
This underscores the company’s track record of executing rapid-development projects on relatively modest budgets—Erinyes reportedly cost less than $15 million to develop over three years.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Most recently, the Florida Supreme Court rejected an argument that his longtime use of drugs and alcohol and several head injuries led to a mental decline that would make executing him cruel and unusual punishment.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In contrast, immigration and national security are his highest-performing issues, with 53% and 51% of voters approving of his handling of them.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2025
-
When senior director of player personnel Matt Hogan finds a player on the waiver wire or assistant general manager Gavin Dickey has the latest on a well-performing minor-leaguer, Brown offers the same response.—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Compassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compassing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share