1
: a passage to one side
especially
: a deflected route usually around a town
2
a
: a channel carrying a fluid around a part and back to the main stream
b(1)
(2)
: shunt sense 1c
also
: a surgical procedure for the establishment of a shunt
have a coronary bypass
bypassed; bypassing; bypasses
1
a
: to avoid by means of a bypass
bypass a congested area
b
: to cause to follow a bypass
2
a
: to neglect or ignore usually intentionally
b
: circumvent
attempting to bypass the law
Examples of bypass in a Sentence
Noun
The bridge is being rebuilt so we'll have to take the bypass.
Verb
To bypass the city, take the highway that circles it.
Is there a way to bypass the bridge construction?
He bypassed the manager and talked directly to the owner.
She managed to bypass the usual paperwork.
Recent Examples on the Web
Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The bypass channel is a key part of a major federal project that aims to reduce the risk of flooding.
—Luke Ranker, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
After a few days on the bypass machine, however, her body began to recover, and doctors were able to bring her out of the coma.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
Oprah Winfrey Tackles Key Issues Around Weight Loss Drugs amid Obesity Epidemic: 'Very Personal to Me'
In 2022, Roker marked 20 years since getting his bypass surgery on social media.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
If cargo ships from Asia bypass California and go to the East Coast, more fossil fuel will be burned, undermining the purpose of CARB’s mandate to lower emissions.
—Jasmeet Bains, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024
Partial lane closures on the major commute bypass road remained past 11:30 a.m. as PG&E crews continued to make repairs, police said.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024
It was designed to support old and new iPhones and included a Pointer Authentication Code (PAC) bypass for exploitation of newer models.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2023
Investigators from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office discovered that diversion bypasses were installed on two commercial water pumps that irrigated Naumann’s crops, according to the district attorney.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Apr. 2024
For $189 a year, CLEAR subscribers can bypass oftentimes lengthy TSA security lines.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 29 Apr. 2024
Among others, the Dolphins bypassed Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton, Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson, Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2024
One reason for the diverging sales data is that wealthy home shoppers are more likely to have the financial flexibility to bypass financing hurdles by paying in cash.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
Darien allegedly bypassed typical payroll procedures to approve the payment, which was made out to the coach for also serving as an assistant girl’s soccer coach.
—Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
In the governor’s race, Schmidt effectively bypassed a competitive primary after former Gov. Jeff Colyer dropped out early in the race.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2024
Good bypassed the Postal Service’s processes to verify a customer’s identity.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Some experts have hypothesized that enormous gas clouds may have collapsed directly into black holes, speeding through the (typically lengthy) star phase or bypassing it altogether.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
Since her 2020 bypass surgery, the mother of two has not suffered any additional heart problems.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The bypass channel is a key part of a major federal project that aims to reduce the risk of flooding.
—Luke Ranker, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
After a few days on the bypass machine, however, her body began to recover, and doctors were able to bring her out of the coma.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
Oprah Winfrey Tackles Key Issues Around Weight Loss Drugs amid Obesity Epidemic: 'Very Personal to Me'
In 2022, Roker marked 20 years since getting his bypass surgery on social media.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
If cargo ships from Asia bypass California and go to the East Coast, more fossil fuel will be burned, undermining the purpose of CARB’s mandate to lower emissions.
—Jasmeet Bains, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024
Partial lane closures on the major commute bypass road remained past 11:30 a.m. as PG&E crews continued to make repairs, police said.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024
It was designed to support old and new iPhones and included a Pointer Authentication Code (PAC) bypass for exploitation of newer models.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2023
Investigators from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office discovered that diversion bypasses were installed on two commercial water pumps that irrigated Naumann’s crops, according to the district attorney.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
The potential transformation in news consumption has far-reaching implications: What happens to media in a landscape in which readers can bypass direct sources in favor of results generated by AI tools?
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Apr. 2024
For $189 a year, CLEAR subscribers can bypass oftentimes lengthy TSA security lines.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 29 Apr. 2024
Among others, the Dolphins bypassed Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton, Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson, Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2024
One reason for the diverging sales data is that wealthy home shoppers are more likely to have the financial flexibility to bypass financing hurdles by paying in cash.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
Darien allegedly bypassed typical payroll procedures to approve the payment, which was made out to the coach for also serving as an assistant girl’s soccer coach.
—Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
In the governor’s race, Schmidt effectively bypassed a competitive primary after former Gov. Jeff Colyer dropped out early in the race.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2024
Good bypassed the Postal Service’s processes to verify a customer’s identity.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Some experts have hypothesized that enormous gas clouds may have collapsed directly into black holes, speeding through the (typically lengthy) star phase or bypassing it altogether.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bypass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bypass
Cite this Entry
“Bypass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bypass. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bypass
1 of 2 noun
by·pass
ˈbī-ˌpas 
: a passage to one side or around a blocked or very crowded area
bypass
2 of 2 verb
: to make a detour around
bypass a city
Medical Definition
bypass
noun
by·pass
ˈbī-ˌpas
: a surgically established shunt
cardiopulmonary bypass of blood from the right atrium to the aorta
also
: a surgical procedure for the establishment of a shunt
Note: When a bypass is performed on more than one coronary artery or branch, the number of times (double, triple, etc.) is often specified.
I was immediately scheduled for a triple bypass, but they decided to try an angioplasty. —Terry Todd, Sports Illustrated
see coronary artery bypass, gastric bypass, jejunoileal bypass
Terry Todd, Sports Illustrated
bypass
transitive verb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share