: a plan or method to circumvent a problem (as in computer software) without eliminating it

Examples of work-around in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Car shopping experts forewarned that the rush of buyers would all but halt without the credit, though GM and Ford managed to find a work-around that allowed EVs intended for leasing to qualify ― while supplies last. Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025 Co-buying with a friend or relative is a work-around, allowing people to combine income and assets, especially in areas where the housing stock is mostly single-family homes. Rhaina Cohen, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025 Over the past year or so, developers reading through the fine print have found a work-around. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025 The tech giant developed the arrangement as a work-around to a Defense Department requirement that people handling sensitive data be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for work-around

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of work-around was in 1961

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Cite this Entry

“Work-around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work-around. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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