1
as in to bypass
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 to avoid
to avoid by going around
circumvented the traffic jam by taking an alternate route
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to traverse
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
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Recent Examples of circumvent
The House's effort to circumvent leadership on support for Ukraine comes as bipartisan legislation in the Senate to impose new economic sanctions on Russia has languished for more than a year, with senators waiting for a green light from the White House.
—
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 June 2026
Some attorneys and advocates say that Florida’s family courts are essentially stripping parents of their rights to their children without any oversight, circumventing state law.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026
The use of emergency funds also enabled the state government to circumvent standard procurement regulations.
—Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic, 4 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
See All Example Sentences for circumvent
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 June 2026
Some attorneys and advocates say that Florida’s family courts are essentially stripping parents of their rights to their children without any oversight, circumventing state law.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026
The use of emergency funds also enabled the state government to circumvent standard procurement regulations.
—Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic, 4 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
See All Example Sentences for circumvent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumvent
Verb
-
An image-parsing bug in the software that presented hardware manufacturers’ logos during bootup allowed attackers to bypass Secure Boot and infect the UEFI with malicious firmware.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
-
Clinics lean on the absorption argument, that the IV route bypasses the gut, to justify both the format and the price.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from windows and avoid seeking refuge in large open rooms like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
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Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war, according to some Western intelligence reports, and hundreds of thousands more have left the country to avoid being drafted.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Volunteers and paid canvassers have traversed neighborhoods on foot to talk to local businesses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Asbury himself would traverse some two hundred and fifty thousand miles and preach more than sixteen thousand sermons in the course of forty-five years.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Russia is believed to be using a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade sanctions over its war against Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
-
According to police, the vehicle was able to evade capture.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Burnham has circled a potential seat near Manchester for months.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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For more than a decade, MAVEN circled Mars in a highly elliptical orbit, measuring particles escaping into space and observing how the atmosphere responded to solar activity.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Kentucky State Police confirmed that Suresh's dog was also struck by a vehicle after escaping onto the interstate and died.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
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Meanwhile, young people are trying to escape algorithmic environments in search of true human connection.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The Chicago Outerbelt, a 210-mile trail that encircles the city, intrigued our copy editor.—
Diane Penningroth,
Midwest Living,
12 June 2026
-
Adjacent to it, an informal dining space was conceived as a modern take on a veranda, with a circular table encircled by walls of glass on three sides.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Beloved actor Ron Perlman fully leans into trying to make the contestants fail this task by forcing eye contact, asking them polite questions, rebuking their bad manners in ignoring him, and even doggedly getting into their personal space.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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As Coley and Sonya begin arguing about a mutual attraction that’s become impossible to ignore, their dynamic finally grows some teeth.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumvent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumvent. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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