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
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
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
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
Phrases Containing bypass
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.
Copy Citation
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on bypass
Nglish: Translation of bypass for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bypass for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share