circumvents

verb

present tense third-person singular of circumvent
1
as in bypasses
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness employees who try to circumvent the company's dress code

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in avoids
to avoid by going around circumvented the traffic jam by taking an alternate route

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traverses
to travel completely around most casual joggers will be able to circumvent the reservoir without too much of a strain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circumvents Saudi Arabia's crucial East-West pipeline that circumvents the Strait of Hormuz is pumping oil at its full capacity of 7 million barrels a day, according to a person familiar with the matter. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 Additionally, because the $50 co-payment circumvents Part D, the amount doesn’t count toward a beneficiary’s annual deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 The exhibit mostly circumvents contextualizing the architectural details of the office, and rather aims to explicate the man who worked within it. — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026 Sea Change reads as an intimate character study, one that circumvents familiar narratives of Asian intergenerational trauma in favor of a more complicated reckoning. — Tessa Yang, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 RevMed’s daraxonrasib cleverly circumvents this problem by acting as a molecular stickum. — Bloomberg, Oc Register, 29 May 2026 This funneling of men outside of the traditional health system circumvents the important step of appropriate medical workups. — Denise Asafu-Adjei, STAT, 13 Apr. 2026 Saudi Arabia’s crucial East-West pipeline that circumvents the Strait of Hormuz is pumping oil at its full capacity of 7 million barrels a day, according to a person familiar with the matter. — Emma Ross-Thomas, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026 Privacy advocates argue the practice circumvents the Fourth Amendment and is contrary to a 2015 law that bars federal agencies from collecting bulk data on Americans. — Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumvents
  1. bypasses
  2. avoids
  3. traverses
  4. evades
  5. circles
  6. ignores
  7. encircles
  8. escapes
Verb
  • Because mRNA technology bypasses the slow process of growing viruses in eggs, mRNA manufacturing allows for later influenza strain selection and fast production, unlike traditional vaccines.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Thune said of reconciliation, which bypasses a 60-vote filibuster.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bypasses
Verb
  • Resolving the case avoids a trial where Merrill intended to defend its rates as standard among bank sweep programs, arguing that sweep accounts are meant for short-term liquidity rather than long-term investment yield.
    — Chase Jordan October 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The shorter route could significantly reduce transportation costs and also avoids geopolitical chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, Yoo said.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of avoids
Verb
  • This fourth full-length from the London jazz quintet traverses Black diasporic sound traditions — grime, reggae, Afrobeat — mulling over the question of how music so joyous can be rooted in histories of pain.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Reliever optimizes availability After taking his head out of the cold tub, Blubaugh traverses the bowels of Daikin Park.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of traverses
Verb
  • Neither of those interpretations would be entirely invalid, exactly, and yet The Basics of Philosophy — ironically enough, given its title — mostly evades any such moral didacticism.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Journalists and negotiators follow up when someone evades the point.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of evades
Verb
  • Separately in the episode, River (Jack Lowden) and Sid (Olivia Cooke) are on the run from a pair of assassins, while the rest of the team circles the wagons en route to a safe house.
    — Lisa de los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Travelling roughly 300 miles (483 kilometers) above Earth's surface at about 17,000 mph (27,000 kph), Hubble circles the planet roughly 15 times per day, which is about one lap every 95 minutes.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of circles
Verb
  • But that ignores the fact that most political rules continue to apply.
    — Nathan Gonzales CQ-Roll Call, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Cyrus ignores the correction and later bristles when Adam decides to extend his military service for another five years.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignores
Verb
  • In May, the Georgia Department of Transportation closed a major section of the road, which encircles the city of Atlanta and connects much of the greater metro area, sending both intra- and interstate traffic through the city.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The paint color that encircles the wallpaper is important, but Chloe Redmond Warner says the bread should be the least exciting part of this sandwich.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircles
Verb
  • At the end, however, Mary escapes the train and is given a second chance to live.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The cost of a homegrown tool, including an error that escapes into production, say on a manufacturing line or in a financial services security breach, is huge.
    — Dan Faulkner, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of escapes

Browse Nearby Words

circumvention
circumvents
circus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Circumvents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumvents. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All