bypass

1 of 2

noun

by·​pass ˈbī-ˌpas How to pronounce bypass (audio)
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
(2)
: shunt sense 1c
also : a surgical procedure for the establishment of a shunt
have a coronary bypass

bypass

2 of 2

verb

bypassed; bypassing; bypasses

transitive verb

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
Noun
Your Questions, Answered Are bypass loppers better than anvil loppers? Jacquelene Amoquandoh, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2023 Day also noted that construction on the West Alabama Highway corridor was already underway in Linden, where an eight-mile bypass has been moving forward since ground was broken on it in 2021. John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023 Among the disadvantages is the fact that assets placed in the bypass trust don’t get a step-up in tax basis when the surviving spouse dies. Liz Weston, oregonlive, 6 Aug. 2023 Workers kept an 8-inch bypass line operable to maintain pressure. Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 2 Aug. 2023 Big commercial jets use bypass engines, so maybe 20% of that ash actually goes into the part of the engine that produces combustion. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2023 The people’s princess was comforting her friend Oonagh Toffolo while her husband underwent heart surgery at Royal Brompton Hospital, and Khan was the attending surgeon who provided Toffolo with an update on the triple bypass surgery, Vanity Fair reported. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023 Today, Schwartz is on partial medical leave from the bank after undergoing two surgeries to repair her legs, including a vein bypass. Joshua Lott, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023 Replaceable-blade pruners A bypass pruner is one of the most helpful gardening tools, used for everything from deadheading flowers, cutting smaller branches and harvesting fruit from the vine. Ebony Roberts, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023
Verb
Both artists struck historic movie deals by bypassing studios and going straight to the distributor, AMC Entertainment AMC -7.3%. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 By obtaining what is called a master lease, the city or county can move people in quickly, bypassing credit and background checks that are obstacles in the private rental market. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023 The algorithm examined the responses from the generative AIs and then gradually adjusted these alternatives to find commands that could bypass the safety filters to produce images. IEEE Spectrum, 20 Nov. 2023 Something that gets right into your bloodstream will likely require far fewer microbes to take hold than one that comes in through your mouth or lungs, for example, since the bloodstream allows the pathogen to bypass many host defenses. WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023 Metro said Red Line trains were temporarily bypassing Union Station. Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 Nearby subway trains bypassed the Fort Totten stop for more than an hour after the munitions were found, CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reported. Stephen Smith, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023 Her directness inspires emotional responses – even from non-animal lovers – while somehow bypassing sentimentality. Terry Hong, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2023 Cárdenas was unable to ascend into House party leadership in 2020 and last year, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) bypassed him when picking the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bypass was in 1736

Dictionary Entries Near bypass

Cite this Entry

“Bypass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bypass. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

bypass

1 of 2 noun
by·​pass ˈbī-ˌpas How to pronounce bypass (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce bypass (audio)
: 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
bypass transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on bypass

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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