skirt

1 to avoid by going around skirted the construction zone Synonyms bypass, circumnavigate, circumvent, detourRelated Words leapfrog; avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, flee, shake, shunNear Antonyms confront, face, meet; accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome

2 to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness the new bill would make it harder for companies to skirt environmental regulations Synonyms beat, bypass, dodge, get around, shortcut, sidestep, circumventRelated Words avoid, duck, elude, end-run, escape, eschew, evade, outflank, shake, shirk, shun; disobey, disregard, flout, ignore; avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off)Near Antonyms accede (to), acquiesce (to), assent (to); accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome; catch, contract, incurAntonyms comply (with), follow, keep, obey, observe

3 to be adjacent to the commercial district skirts the river's edge Synonyms abut, border (on), butt (on or against), flank, fringe, join, march (with), neighbor, adjoin, touch, verge (on)Related Words attach (to), communicate (with), connect (with), link (with); bound, embrace, encircle, enclose (also inclose), fence, line, margin, rim, surround; contact, converge, meet

4 to serve as a border for the wooden fence that skirts the construction site Synonyms bound, edge, frame, fringe, margin, rim, borderRelated Words hem, trim; circumscribe, define, delineate, demarcate, outline, silhouette, sketch, trace; circle, compass, encircle, enclose (also inclose), environ, girdle, girth, loop, ring, round, surround, wall; check, confine, control, curb, limit, restrain, restrict