1
as in bypassing
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 avoiding
to avoid by going around
circumvented the traffic jam by taking an alternate route
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in circling
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 circumventing
Johnston’s administration, which says the cameras have been a game changer for fighting crime, agreed to a no-cost extension of Flock’s contract in October, circumventing a vote from the council.
—
Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Yet the group is clearly circumventing the restrictions.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Panahi, along with other up-and-coming filmmakers, began circumventing the official channels, sending one version of his films’ scripts to government censors and filming another.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
With potential regulatory fights to come, this is a potential boon and is a way of circumventing content quotas and other obligations that European countries want to establish.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
The federal government argued that the lower courts were circumventing the power of the justices and improperly limiting the authority of the Department of Homeland Security.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Tom Worthington, from the Australian National University’s School of Computing, said circumventing a shutdown that appeared to have been ordered by the country’s Taliban leader would be risky for ordinary Afghans.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
On the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, journalist Pablo Torre reported that Leonard wasn’t obligated to perform services to Aspiration, that the deal would end if the Clippers traded Leonard and that the payments were understood as circumventing the cap.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2025
And in cases where credentials are compromised, attackers can operate from within, circumventing network protections entirely.
—Camellia Chan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Yet the group is clearly circumventing the restrictions.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Panahi, along with other up-and-coming filmmakers, began circumventing the official channels, sending one version of his films’ scripts to government censors and filming another.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
With potential regulatory fights to come, this is a potential boon and is a way of circumventing content quotas and other obligations that European countries want to establish.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
The federal government argued that the lower courts were circumventing the power of the justices and improperly limiting the authority of the Department of Homeland Security.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Tom Worthington, from the Australian National University’s School of Computing, said circumventing a shutdown that appeared to have been ordered by the country’s Taliban leader would be risky for ordinary Afghans.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
On the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, journalist Pablo Torre reported that Leonard wasn’t obligated to perform services to Aspiration, that the deal would end if the Clippers traded Leonard and that the payments were understood as circumventing the cap.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2025
And in cases where credentials are compromised, attackers can operate from within, circumventing network protections entirely.
—Camellia Chan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumventing
Verb
-
Similar to fellow Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze — another keen chess player — the assumption would be that the skills taken from the board game have helped Zubimendi be a step ahead in enticing and then bypassing opposition players.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Another attraction is bypassing the maze of US regulations regarding nuclear power plants.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These risks have prompted the United States, China, and other spacefaring nations to develop advanced systems for tracking, avoiding, and potentially removing orbital debris.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Maximize calcium absorption by pairing it with vitamin D, healthy fats, and proper timing, while avoiding absorption blockers such as high-oxalate foods and excessive caffeine.—
Trang Tran,
Verywell Health,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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So instead, to keep costs down and power up, the Starcloud satellite flies what is known as a dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbit, circling the planet at a near vertical 83° angle that carries it over the poles and keeps it almost constantly exposed to the sun.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
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Deadline had revealed that both were circling over the past few weeks and Amazon has now said that Isaacs will play Atlas DeMornay, one of the canon roles, and Weaver will be Evelyn Wallis, a mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara’s talents.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Kurchenko was also close to Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-leaning Ukrainian president at the time, and was later accused by the succeeding Ukrainian government of systematically evading millions in taxes with the collusion of officials in Yanukovych’s administration.—
Olena Loginova,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
He was arrested on suspicion of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Mariners traversing the bar are urged to exercise extreme caution or stay in port until the threat subsides.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Walkers and bikers traversing down the path and a new bridge will see two new pavilions as well as the Athletic Club Boise Stadium, where a new professional soccer team whose name and colors were revealed in 2025 will play.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Wrapped in a blanked on the sofa, binging reruns of The Oprah Show on YouTube and gleefully ignoring emails all morning is my idea of heaven.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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On July 4, after Zane confessed to feeling guilty about ignoring more texts from his family members, the chatbot offered to help Zane craft a terse message to them.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even as this risk rises rapidly, there are still plans for launching mega constellations of tiny satellites akin to those that are already orbiting as part of SpaceX’s Starlink system, along with a newly emerging push for orbital data centers such as Nvidia’s Starcloud.—
Humberto Basilio,
Scientific American,
7 Nov. 2025
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While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Her grandfather, George Craig, had made his way there after escaping enslavement with the aid of John Brown, and was working as a barber in the town of Grinnell.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Regardless of our paths — whether that meant escaping war in Ethiopia or being the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors — many of us labor under the belief that this work requires us to commit to the ideals of this nation and not the indignation and nightmare of the insurrection.—
Sarah Ghermay,
Washington Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumventing. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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