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
Relevance
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
1
as in to accomplish
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 to circle
to travel completely around
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
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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
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4
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compass
New Atlas, 2 Dec. 2025
But, ultimately, Levi said the real Hollywood compass — the one that has steered him from comic book hero to historical storyteller — is spiritual.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
At its best, McCarthy’s fiction could compass the strange and often violent order of existence.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for compass
Noun
As the gyroscope turns, the standing wave stays in place like a magnet compass needle pointing north.
—Verb
The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for compass
Noun
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At a moment of increasing niche-ification of the news media business, Axel Springer is running in the opposite direction.—
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Automation can go in either of these directions; that’s why the task of the left is to create social and cultural conditions in which the benign and constructive aspects of technology and automation are primary.—
Noun
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Top Republicans who attended the classified briefing rallied to the president’s defense while Democrats questioned the scope of the operation and pushed to halt further military action.—
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Homegrown Indian brands, such as Bombay Perfumery and Forest Essentials, are in the scopes of beauty experts.—
Noun
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Agents reportedly found Wu again, who admitted to taking videos of the B‑2 Spirit aircraft and numerous photographs of the base, including its perimeter fencing, a gate and military equipment.—
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The New York City Police Department maintained a safety perimeter around the protest to ensure no chaos sparked between the opposing protesters.—
Verb
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Malinin holds the honor as the only skater ever to land a quad axel in competition, first accomplishing the feat in 2022.—
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That’s what the report is trying to accomplish.—
Verb
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The agent who had circled around the passenger side can be seen on the driver's side, returning his gun to his holster.—
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So instead, to keep costs down and power up, the Starcloud satellite flies what is known as a dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbit, circling the planet at a near vertical 83° angle that carries it over the poles and keeps it almost constantly exposed to the sun.—
Verb
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Bea incredulously finds out that Christy has been involved in a treasure hunt for years now, believing that there is a million dollars hidden somewhere in the state, planning and plotting her methods of finding it, and Christy is finally setting her plan in motion.—
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But moderate House Republicans are plotting potential compromise measures with moderates in the Senate.—
Verb
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The porous polymer coating that reflects up to 97 percent of sunlight and radiates heat into the air, keeping surfaces up to six degrees cooler than the surrounding air even under direct sun.—
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And Woll is seemingly in a good place after returning to the Leafs, taking part in multiple high-tempo practices, and on Friday, speaking to the media for the first time surrounding his absence.—
Verb
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Elordi played Frankenstein's monster — known as the Creature — in this adaptation of the story, and he was also nominated at the Globes for his performance.—
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Other birds might have imprinted on humans and do not know how to hunt their own food.—
Cite this Entry
“Compass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compass. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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