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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circumventing
Republican state lawmakers opposed the measure, saying the Legislature was circumventing its process and abandoning transparency and accountability in order to funnel tax dollars to a political ally.
—
Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Leonard has one season left on his deal after this one, with uncertainty surrounding him in the league’s investigation into the Aspiration situation, in which Leonard and the Clippers are accused of circumventing the NBA’s salary-cap rules.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Learning French, German, Italian, or Spanish also offered a means of circumventing Ireland’s draconian censorship regime.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Last year, Zohran Mamdani successfully pulled off a longshot bid for mayor despite strong opposition from the Post and from The New York Times’ opinion section, largely by running a campaign fueled by circumventing old media with buzzy viral videos and stunts.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Their Eyes also reveals the workers speaking openly in Slack group chats, sharing their frustrations and their ideas for circumventing the crowdworking platforms.
—Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But that could be a mistake worth circumventing this January.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The third danger concerns that lack of accountability involved in circumventing Congress.
—Kent Jones, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2026
Most states set the legal betting age at 18 or 21, but more kids are circumventing age requirements on platforms to place their latest bets.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Leonard has one season left on his deal after this one, with uncertainty surrounding him in the league’s investigation into the Aspiration situation, in which Leonard and the Clippers are accused of circumventing the NBA’s salary-cap rules.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Learning French, German, Italian, or Spanish also offered a means of circumventing Ireland’s draconian censorship regime.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Last year, Zohran Mamdani successfully pulled off a longshot bid for mayor despite strong opposition from the Post and from The New York Times’ opinion section, largely by running a campaign fueled by circumventing old media with buzzy viral videos and stunts.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Their Eyes also reveals the workers speaking openly in Slack group chats, sharing their frustrations and their ideas for circumventing the crowdworking platforms.
—Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But that could be a mistake worth circumventing this January.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The third danger concerns that lack of accountability involved in circumventing Congress.
—Kent Jones, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2026
Most states set the legal betting age at 18 or 21, but more kids are circumventing age requirements on platforms to place their latest bets.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumventing
Verb
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Hospitals themselves are sometimes bypassing safeguards that once governed the introduction of new medical technologies, says Nancy Hagans, nurse and president of the New York State Nurses Association.—
Hilke Schellmann,
Scientific American,
17 Feb. 2026
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Edin’s accusation was that Kennedy was bypassing the technology by touching the stone’s granite body instead.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The battery is reported to retain more than 90 percent of its driving range even at –40 degrees Celsius, avoiding the sharp winter degradation commonly associated with both LFP and nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Sokolowski also recommends avoiding misting your refrigerator with water directly—always apply it to a microfiber cloth first.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Detectives noted a consistent gait and distinctive walking pattern across videos captured before and after the shooting, including footage showing the suspect circling the area for hours and later walking away from the Barus & Holley building shortly after the gunfire.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Translated into footwear, the daisy now appears as a metal ring circling the heel rather than on the upper or packaging.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He was also charged with evading arrest the same day.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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The teen was arrested on suspicion of crimes including assaulting a person with a semi-automatic firearm, brandishing a firearm, negligently discharging a firearm, evading a peace officer and driving under the influence of alcohol, the sheriff’s office said.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing six miles to the temple where their trip began.—
Deepa Bharath,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The work is a stone arch that, rather than traversing a stream from one bank to another, stands in the water lengthwise, aligned with the rushing current, evoking a leaping salmon.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This authoritarian apparatus has relied on mass killings to ensure its survival while ignoring the basic and inalienable rights of citizens—including the fundamental right to seek change in the political system.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
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Similar to Gray’s case, the Crumbleys were charged for ignoring warning signs that their children could be capable of violence and allowing their children access to guns.—
Jozsef Papp,
AJC.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Such observations would have confirmed the comets' demise and also shed light on whether smaller pieces of their shattered nuclei would keep orbiting the sun as mini-comets.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This is increasingly important, given the rising number of satellites orbiting our planet.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But a previous owner of the injection well noted in a report to the state that the well was missing a layer of cement that would help prevent the wastewater from escaping at shallow depths, where most drinking water sources exist, Plummer wrote in an email to oil division colleagues.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
-
So much for escaping the bubble.—
The Editors,
Outside,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumventing. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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