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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to circle
to travel completely around
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compass
K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 17 May 2026
Its only compass is artistic excellence.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 12 May 2026
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
But a new study of one bull ant species shows the insects continue to navigate when the sun goes down—using an innate lunar compass.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 17 May 2026
Its only compass is artistic excellence.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 12 May 2026
Verb
The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compass
Noun
-
In true Swiss fashion, Wengen features a number of chalet-style homes, snowcapped mountains, and bucolic scenes in nearly every direction.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
25 May 2026
-
The average song length is around four minutes, and each one covers so much ground, changes direction so suddenly, and welcomes so many lyrical interpretations, that each of them can feel like the centerpiece, the moment where the central action takes place.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
The exact scope and timing of layoffs remain mostly unknown.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
-
The policy should also require input from expert engineers and consultants to verify the scope and needs for all major projects, as well as careful reviews of all vendor contracts by qualified legal counsel prior to execution.—
Meily Perez,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Even Donovan Mitchell’s 31-point performance wasn’t enough to keep Cleveland competitive as the Knicks’ defense smothered the Cavaliers’ perimeter attack for the fourth straight game.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
-
Establishing a perimeter would seem to be the first manifestation of a safety zone on the lunar surface, although Isaacman would not confirm this when asked directly.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Optical interferometers were invented more than a century ago, but orchestrating and combining signals from multiple telescopes across long baselines has proved much harder to accomplish with visible light compared to the relative ease of working in radio waves.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
-
The White Sox last accomplished that feat June 27-30, 1938.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Now imagine deploying extra cash on every dip (circled above).—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
They're laid, each fall, in ephemeral ponds; on dry mounds, like the one Dahrouge is circling, that should be inundated by winter's rains.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Consultants and clients use data about the climate, finance, social instability, wars, and so on to plan their assets, and using AI, Kurant plotted parameters and visualized these data points.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
24 May 2026
-
At a true farmers market, you’ll likely spot chefs inspecting greens, tasting fruits and plotting that night’s specials — the same approach is available to home cooks willing to shop seasonally and ask questions.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant have long kept details surrounding the creative aspect of their relationship private, until now.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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The conflict and uncertainty surrounding it have continued to ripple through energy markets, with Exxon delivering a warning Thursday that oil inventories are on track to reach dangerously low levels in the coming weeks, forcing prices to spike and curbing demand.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the most painful things about this disease is knowing that promising treatments are emerging, but funding barriers and manufacturing and procedural slow-downs continue to derail progress.—
Elise Esposito,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Nobody knows how often adverse events occur, said Kristen Nixon, a Johns Hopkins University researcher who has studied posts about weight loss drugs on Reddit, a popular online forum.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compass. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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