Meaning & use

bypass

verb·Everyday

To go around or avoid an obstacle, rule, or process rather than dealing with it directly.

See it in a sentence

The new highway lets drivers bypass the congested downtown area entirely.

He bypassed his manager and took the complaint straight to the company's president.

A note on using this word

As a noun, 'bypass' can refer to a road built to route traffic around a town, or to a surgical procedure that reroutes blood flow, as in 'heart bypass surgery'.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A road, pipe, or route that allows something to go around an obstruction, or a surgical procedure that reroutes blood flow.

He underwent bypass surgery after doctors found a blocked artery.

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