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workaround

American

[wurk-uh-round] / ˈwɜrk əˌraʊnd /

Or work-around

noun

Computers. a strategy or technique used to overcome a defect or other problem in a program or system.

This is a known bug in version 1.5, but a workaround is available.
any method used to overcome a technical problem, especially a problem that could prevent success.

The astronauts needed a workaround to bypass the faulty cable.

workaround British

/ ˈwɜːkəˌraʊnd /

noun

a method of circumventing or overcoming a problem in a computer program or system

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of workaround

First recorded in 1970–75; work + around

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Especially now that I’m eating less dairy, the mini blender has become my workaround and my playground.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

Don’t miss: Saudi Arabia has a workaround for the Hormuz crude-export standstill.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

It hasn’t yet prevented its foes from using a workaround that runs through the Red Sea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

"There's always a workaround, there's always a way to reframe it in your mind, but also physically, what you can do with those symptoms."

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Fortunately, the rest of the brain is equipped with a workaround for the bottleneck.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023