compasses 1 of 2

noun

plural of compass
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

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3
as in edges
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something within the compass of the city walls

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

compasses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of compass
1
as in implements
to carry through (as a process) to completion attempting more than his modest abilities could compass

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in circles
to travel completely around the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth

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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

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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

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 compasses
Noun
The prevailing motifs include Anglo-American boarding schools and college campuses, accoutrements with a romantic aura (billowing sleeves, melting candles), and analog artifacts (old compasses, monocles). — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026 So many role-playing games spoonfeed you with compasses and waypoints and fourth-wall-breaking warnings. — Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compasses
  1. directions
  2. scopes
  3. edges
  4. implements
  5. circles
  6. plots
  7. surrounds
  8. knows
Noun
  • Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Maersk has also switched to the trans-Suez route on the Asia-Mediterranean AE19/SE4 service, with ships transiting in both directions since the end of July.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of directions
Noun
  • As marketing departments respond to these market changes, procurement executives’ scopes are evolving in parallel.
    — Michelle Douglas, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Avian scopes are typically below 20, and so are the scopes for fishes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of scopes
Noun
  • The edges of your lawn and garden provide the perfect habitat for these plants, while fences and retaining walls can give support to growing poison ivy vines.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Driver and Teller move through Queens and Brooklyn, surrounded by muted colors and hard edges of Gray’s New York, while the promise of easy money gives way to danger.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of edges
Verb
  • Advocacy groups are sounding alarms over widespread issues in federal student loan programs as the Education Department implements major reforms.
    — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Much now depends on how the administration defines domestic manufacturing and implements the policy.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 22 July 2026
Definition of implements
Verb
  • The job search can be a draining process, especially when applications go unanswered, AI hysteria circles the internet, and interviews end with little to no feedback.
    — Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026
  • Whenever the calendar comes out, Amanda Mendoza VanCleave circles the dates.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Definition of circles
Verb
  • Plus, the Office of Science and Technology Policy plots a venture capital-like model for the scientific grant process.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 July 2026
  • Capitalizing on the tide of anti-Rhaenyra sentiment rising among the peasants of King's Landing, Ormund plots to sow further unrest by paying off a band of smallfolk to brutally torture and kill members of the City Watch.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 20 July 2026
Definition of plots
Verb
  • Gus Birney, Shulman’s real-life daughter, brings an ineffable lightness to Sarah Nell, the joyfulness and sweetness of the portrayal all the more wondrous before of all the darkness that surrounds it.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And yet, there’s a halo of chaos that surrounds Rhaenyra — an electric current of turmoil that’s too constant not to be her fault.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of surrounds
Verb
  • And somebody in your plumbing meeting already knows all of this.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Then, maybe, who knows in future but definitely not right now.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of knows

Browse Nearby Words

compassed
compasses
compassing
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Cite this Entry

“Compasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compasses. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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