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Example:

I [...] the house to see what was happening in the yard.

I thought of encircle and surround. But I'm not sure if can use them to mean "to walk around something."

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    I'd just use "went round".
    – A E
    Nov 22, 2014 at 8:48
  • @Mari-Lou A OK, edited the post. How about now?
    – wyc
    Nov 22, 2014 at 8:53
  • Yes, I think so. It's less open to ambiguity.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Nov 22, 2014 at 8:54
  • Do you mean all the way around or just part of the way around? "to see what was happening in the yard" implies only partially, which really rules out circle or circumnavigate
    – itsbruce
    Nov 22, 2014 at 9:49
  • @itsbruce - circumnavigate does not necessarily mean to go all around something in a full circle, it can also mean to bypass/avoid something thefreedictionary.com/circumnavigate
    – Alo
    Nov 22, 2014 at 10:16

5 Answers 5

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I think cross and traverse will fit in almost all contexts.

And if it is some close space pass/go/cross through might work as well.

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    You are answering the question title, but the OP is looking for an expression which means to "walk round something".
    – Mari-Lou A
    Nov 22, 2014 at 8:49
  • I agree that my answer was influenced by the title, but the body didn't clearly state that only going round should be considered.
    – Arsen Y.M.
    Nov 22, 2014 at 8:53
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    It's not your fault, but sometimes it's best to ask clarification from the OP.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Nov 22, 2014 at 8:55
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Someone has already mentioned circumnavigate. However, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, circumnavigate means "to travel all the way around (something) in a ship, airplane, etc.".

I believe the word you are looking for is circumambulate, which means "to circle on foot especially ritualistically".

I circumambulated the house to see what was happening in the yard.

Additionally, you may also use circled, which means "to move in a circle or circuit around; rotate or revolve around", as opposed to encircled, which means "to form a circle around; surround; encompass" or "to make a circling movement around; make the circuit of"

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I am thinking of circumnavigate. I admit is does sound unusual to say "I circumnavigated the house to get the yard", however, if it's a single word you are looking for, the second part of the definition below does seem to fit.

From MW

circumnavigate - to go completely around (as the earth) especially by water; also : to go around instead of through : bypass

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    I circumnavigate the house..sounds bit queer.. does it?
    – user66974
    Nov 22, 2014 at 9:19
  • Yes, I mentioned in my answer that it sounds unusual. However, it is a single-word answer that means to go around something
    – Alo
    Nov 22, 2014 at 9:51
  • What kind of house design would force somebody to go completely around a house to see the yard? Is it built on a Mobius strip?
    – itsbruce
    Nov 22, 2014 at 9:51
  • The second part of the definition is that it can mean to go around something, to bypass/avoid it, not necessarily entirely around it. For example, from TFD - 'circumnavigate the downtown traffic'. I don't think that means you would need to drive in a full circle around the traffic in order to avoid it, which as you point out makes no sense at all.
    – Alo
    Nov 22, 2014 at 10:12
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I rounded the house to see what was happening in the yard.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/rounded#websters

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Skirted: go around or past the edge of.

"he did not go through the city but skirted it"

synonyms: go around, walk around, circle "he skirted the city"

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