bypass

/ˈbaɪˌpæs/

Say it: BY-pass

1. verb To go around or avoid an obstacle, problem, or place.
We took the new highway to bypass the congested city center.
2. verb To ignore a rule, procedure, or person in authority in order to act more quickly or directly.
She bypassed her manager and took the complaint directly to human resources.
3. noun A road built around a town or city to relieve traffic congestion.
The county is planning to build a bypass to the west of the town.
4. noun A medical operation in which a new passage is created for blood or another fluid to flow through, avoiding a blocked or damaged part.
After the heart attack, he needed a triple bypass to restore blood flow.

📖 Seen in the wild

The new road was built to bypass the congested city center.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ bypass in a sentence

The hackers were able to bypass the company's security systems.
To expedite the project, we had to bypass the standard approval workflow.
Traffic is being diverted onto the northern bypass due to an accident on the main highway.
He tried to bypass the difficult conversation by changing the subject.
The proposed legislation would bypass several environmental review processes.
Is there a way to bypass the login screen and access the files directly?
The surgeon performed a coronary artery bypass to restore blood flow to the heart.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

circumvent avoid skirt sidestep detour evade get around ignore

circumvent · more formal and often implies using cleverness or trickery.

avoid · more general; it doesn't specify the method of avoidance.

skirt · suggests going around the very edge of an issue or obstacle.

sidestep · implies a quick, deft move to avoid a problem or question.

Opposites: confront, face, tackle, engage, go through

🌱 Where it comes from

A straightforward English compound word from the early 20th century, combining 'by' (in the sense of 'past' or 'to one side') and 'pass'. Its first uses were literal, referring to new roads built to pass by towns, and its meaning quickly expanded to include medical procedures and the figurative sense of avoiding rules or procedures.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

bypass surgerycoronary bypassbypass the systembuild a bypassbypass the usual channelsbypass security

Bypass is a versatile and generally neutral word. Its connotation shifts with context. In technical fields like engineering or medicine, it is purely descriptive ('a cardiac bypass'). However, when referring to procedures or people, it can imply a breach of protocol ('bypassing your supervisor'), suggesting impatience or a belief that the standard way is inefficient. It is more direct and less sneaky-sounding than 'circumvent'.

Word family: bypasses

💬 Quick answers

What does bypass mean?

To bypass something means to go around it to avoid it. This can apply to a physical obstacle like a town, a set of rules, or a person in a chain of command.

What is the difference between bypass and circumvent?

Bypass is a direct term for going around something. Circumvent often implies using cleverness or strategy to get around a rule or obstacle, sometimes with a slightly sneaky connotation.

Is bypass a negative word?

It depends on the context. In traffic or medicine, it's neutral. When it means ignoring proper procedures or authority, like 'bypassing your manager,' it can carry a negative connotation of breaking the rules.

Can you bypass a person?

Yes, this is a common figurative use. It means you ignore that person in a chain of command and go to someone with more authority, effectively going over their head.

1 word nerd collected it V

Want "bypass" to actually stick?

Save it to your own vault, let AI explain it, practice till it's yours.

Start for free →