workaround
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of workaround
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.
Workarounds for the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint and a drop in crude imports to China helped ease the impact of lost Persian Gulf oil.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
Workarounds have since been introduced, which have improved the situation but disruption is continuing.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025
Workarounds like mail forwarding could place a patient in violation of criminal laws regulating how prescription drugs are dispensed in general, but each state has its own set of rules, Bourque said.
From Washington Post • Jul. 6, 2022
Workarounds that allow the ladders to be safely and effectively deployed in the field are not permitted in the academy, they said, and a thorough study of standards for raising ladders has not been completed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2021
Workarounds are possible but would come with reductions in functionality and/or easy of use for USB connections of smartphones and tablet computers to desktop computers.
From The Guardian • Dec. 13, 2012
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
