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
Since the start of the war, cryptocurrency flowing into Iran has surged, in what experts say is a sign the government is trying to provide civilians with a financial lifeline while circumventing sanctions.
—
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 8 Apr. 2026
The unifying aspect of the recent cases is that they're crafted to circumvent Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which Congress passed in 1996 and President Bill Clinton signed into law.
—Jennifer Elias,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Congress is on a two-week recess, but the Senate and House could move to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP as early as Thursday using a procedure known as unanimous consent that allows the chambers to circumvent formal voting as long as no member objects.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump has remained open in his positioning toward Moscow, even declining on Sunday to blast it for circumventing his oil blockade on Cuba.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circumvent
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 8 Apr. 2026
The unifying aspect of the recent cases is that they're crafted to circumvent Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which Congress passed in 1996 and President Bill Clinton signed into law.
—Jennifer Elias,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Congress is on a two-week recess, but the Senate and House could move to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP as early as Thursday using a procedure known as unanimous consent that allows the chambers to circumvent formal voting as long as no member objects.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump has remained open in his positioning toward Moscow, even declining on Sunday to blast it for circumventing his oil blockade on Cuba.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circumvent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumvent
Verb
-
The project, known as QUASAR-CREATE, seeks to address a specific vulnerability in modern digital infrastructure, which is the eventual ability of quantum computers to bypass current encryption methods.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Yes, there are ways to bypass this with a digital antenna.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Yankees will look to avoid its first series sweep Sunday with Cam Schlittler on the mound against Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The troop carrier planes became bogged down in the soil and had to be destroyed by the US to avoid them falling into enemy hands, while new planes were flown in.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Or, if shopping isn’t your preferred vacation activity, take the bike to the nearby Intracoastal Waterway and traverse on Palm Beach Lake Trail, a bike- and pedestrian-friendly path that abuts the water’s edge that is lined with docked yachts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
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Located in the Willamette National Forest, the area is remote and difficult to traverse, prompting a request for search-and-rescue teams.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To escape North Korea, the Kims would need to evade patrol boats and cross what is known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL) – a tense, disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
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Jarvis then spent eight years evading the FBI in Paris, London and Ibiza, after an industrial sized hash-smuggling operation went wrong.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officers flooded the area Wednesday night, with patrol cars lining the roadways and a police helicopter circling the park overhead.—
Naveen Dhaliwal,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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But doing things the easy way has been unbecoming of the Ducks, who fell behind by two goals, circled the wagons to force overtime but then stumbled in the bonus session, 4-3, off Marco Rossi’s OT winner.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In one version of the script, Alonzo managed to escape, but Washington and Fuqua decided against it.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
To escape North Korea, the Kims would need to evade patrol boats and cross what is known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL) – a tense, disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pink ribbons now encircle every post and sign as a gesture to our loss.—
Stephen Trimble,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Jack Grealish was prone on one of the tables, encircled not by medical staff but members of the club’s Down’s Syndrome team.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t ignore it or joke past it.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The pope ignoring atrocities The papal mission appears to have overlooked a visit to Nigeria.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumvent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumvent. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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