compass 1 of 2

noun

Definition of compassnext
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

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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

compass

2 of 2

verb

ˈkəm-pəs How to pronounce compass (audio)
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
as in to surround
to form a circle around a mysterious isle, compassed by treacherous seas

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun compass differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of compass are gamut, orbit, range, scope, and sweep. While all these words mean "the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control)," compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.

your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study

When is gamut a more appropriate choice than compass?

While the synonyms gamut and compass are close in meaning, gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.

a performance that ran the gamut of emotions

When is it sensible to use orbit instead of compass?

In some situations, the words orbit and compass are roughly equivalent. However, orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.

within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

Where would range be a reasonable alternative to compass?

The meanings of range and compass largely overlap; however, range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.

the entire range of human experience

When could scope be used to replace compass?

The words scope and compass can be used in similar contexts, but scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.

as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened

In what contexts can sweep take the place of compass?

Although the words sweep and compass have much in common, sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity

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 compass
Noun
The sun fusing with the north node serves as a connective compass. —USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025 The yacht is named after Robert Were Fox the Younger, a 19th-century scientist who invented a compass that measured magnetic dip at sea in high latitudes, leading to the discovery of the South Pole. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul. —Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Abigail Jackson The adjacent dining area is dedicated to family heirlooms like a set of Allan Gould compass chairs from Kate’s interior designer grandmother and a red vintage rug from her great-grandparents. —Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for compass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compass
  1. direction
  2. scope
  3. perimeter
  4. circle
  5. plot
  6. surround
  7. know
  8. extent
Noun
  • One of the suspects was reportedly a Chinese Communist Party member and acted under the direction of a Chinese spy agency.
    — Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
  • While the team has endured rough stretches this season, the Devils are trending in the right direction again.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of direction
Noun
  • Do Iranian artists find there is more scope for becoming a professional artist in the diaspora?
    — Rebecca Ruth Gould, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2025
  • With shed space fitted out to complete two yachts ranging from 98-feet to 229-feet and surface area of around 60,000 square feet, the yard has huge scope for future superyacht construction.
    — Katia Damborsky, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of scope
Noun
  • The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.
    — CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • To get here, these Tigers outlasted Michigan and then Michigan State, winning their Elite Eight draw with rigid perimeter defense and a 25-point, 14-board Broome showing.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of perimeter
Verb
  • Hiking here rewards you with panoramic views of the coastline, where hawks circle overhead and the scent of sagebrush floats on the breeze.
    — Cliff Lewis, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The boys board a rescue boat and pull five souls off the Flicka’s rescue dinghy, all while sharks circle and buck.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of circle
Verb
  • Less than a month into the job, Trump and the Japanese Prime Minister plotted their response to a North Korean missile launch in the open-air patio of Mar a Lago, photos of which ended up on Facebook.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Charity workers had plotted the heights and weights of Daasanach children on World Health Organization charts—the same ones our pediatrician used to monitor my daughter’s growth—and determined that more than two-thirds of the kids were malnourished.
    — Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of plot
Verb
  • Back when the mysterious scandal surrounding Natalia Grace Barnett made headlines, Imogen Faith-Reid — the actor who would one day play her — wasn’t aware of it.
    — Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
  • As Obama explained to Bush, the rumors surrounding her decision to simply bow out of some aspects of public life proves how many expectations women still carry on their shoulders.
    — Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of surround
Verb
  • The daughter of Steve Harvey is known for often mixing streetwear and couture pieces with her looks.
    — Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Jefferson’s is known for taking its bourbon on a journey—literally, with the Ocean Aged at Sea series that sends barrels around the world on container ships to age in different climates, or the Tropics release that ships casks to other countries where they are exposed to high heat and humidity.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of know
Noun
  • Furthermore, the market had likely already factored in the potential positive outcome of the SEC case to some extent during the earlier sharp rally in XRP.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • That’s what Nottingham Forest and, to an extent, Bournemouth and Fulham did a couple of seasons ago and Brentford before that.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of extent

Browse Nearby Words

compartments
compass
compassed
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Cite this Entry

“Compass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compass. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on compass

Nglish: Translation of compass for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compass

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