Meaning & use

bypasses

verb·Everyday

Last updated

Goes around or avoids something, such as an obstacle, place, or normal procedure, instead of dealing with it directly.

See it in a sentence

The new highway bypasses the town center entirely.

He bypasses the usual approval process by going straight to the director.

A note on using this word

"Bypasses" is also the plural of the noun "bypass," referring to roads that avoid congested areas or surgical procedures that reroute blood flow.

Words with a similar meaning

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

Words with an opposite meaning

confronts

Another way to use it

2. noun

Plural of bypass: roads built to route traffic around a congested area, or surgical procedures that create an alternate path for blood flow.

The city built two bypasses to ease traffic through downtown.

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