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
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
Opponents argue that letting private utilities bypass city and county governments undermines their ability to manage limited water resources in Georgia’s rapidly growing coastal region.
—Russ Bynum, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
Often bypassed by international visitors for other European cities, Antwerp offers an embarrassment of riches in a compact city at the crossroads of Europe.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2024
Concurrent with this troop drawdown, Israel has moved to open additional access points to northern Gaza that would allow more aid to flow in — in theory at least, bypassing the logistical blocks that had led to most aid ending up stuck near border crossings in southern Gaza.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Another 80 bypassed the TSA podium where agents check IDs, but were screened and got their luggage through security.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
However, says the source, Barboza was rejected by the government and Rosales bypassed the discussions and put his name forward.
—Elias Ferrer, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The White House bypassed congressional approval for both sales by invoking emergency authority.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Her parents, Richard and Estelle Mae (Cowan) Proctor, had moved to Canada from Oklahoma, two among thousands of Black Americans who had bypassed Northern U.S. states for the chance of a homestead in the Canadian West during the Great Migration.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Last month, the world got a preview of a looming catastrophe: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to bypass antiquated identity and security systems.
—Wayne Chang, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
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
Opponents argue that letting private utilities bypass city and county governments undermines their ability to manage limited water resources in Georgia’s rapidly growing coastal region.
—Russ Bynum, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
That draft, posted on ESPN.com this week, has Kiper bypassing Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims, Texas receiver Worthy and Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton — among others — in order to take FSU edge player Jared Verse for Miami at 21.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
Often bypassed by international visitors for other European cities, Antwerp offers an embarrassment of riches in a compact city at the crossroads of Europe.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2024
Concurrent with this troop drawdown, Israel has moved to open additional access points to northern Gaza that would allow more aid to flow in — in theory at least, bypassing the logistical blocks that had led to most aid ending up stuck near border crossings in southern Gaza.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Another 80 bypassed the TSA podium where agents check IDs, but were screened and got their luggage through security.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
However, says the source, Barboza was rejected by the government and Rosales bypassed the discussions and put his name forward.
—Elias Ferrer, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The White House bypassed congressional approval for both sales by invoking emergency authority.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Her parents, Richard and Estelle Mae (Cowan) Proctor, had moved to Canada from Oklahoma, two among thousands of Black Americans who had bypassed Northern U.S. states for the chance of a homestead in the Canadian West during the Great Migration.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Last month, the world got a preview of a looming catastrophe: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to bypass antiquated identity and security systems.
—Wayne Chang, Forbes, 28 Mar. 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 24 Apr. 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
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