bypass

American  

[bahy-pas, -pahs] / ˈbaɪˌpæs, -ˌpɑs /

Or by-pass

noun

1. a road enabling motorists to avoid a city or other heavy traffic points or to drive around an obstruction.

2. a secondary pipe or other channel connected with a main passage, as for conducting a liquid or gas around a fixture, pipe, or appliance.

3. Electricity. shunt.

4. a surgical procedure in which a diseased or obstructed hollow organ is temporarily or permanently circumvented.

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verb (used with object)

bypassed, bypast, bypassed, bypast, bypassing

1. to avoid (an obstruction, city, etc.) by following a bypass.

2. to cause (fluid or gas) to follow a secondary pipe or bypass.

3. to neglect to consult or to ignore the opinion or decision of.

   He bypassed the foreman and took his grievance straight to the owner.

bypass British  

/ ˈbaɪˌpɑːs /

noun

1. a main road built to avoid a city or other congested area

2. any system of pipes or conduits for redirecting the flow of a liquid

3. a means of redirecting the flow of a substance around an appliance through which it would otherwise pass

4. surgery

   1. the redirection of blood flow, either to avoid a diseased blood vessel or in order to perform heart surgery See coronary bypass

   2. ( as modifier )

      bypass surgery

5. electronics

   1. an electrical circuit, esp one containing a capacitor, connected in parallel around one or more components, providing an alternative path for certain frequencies

   2. ( as modifier )

      a bypass capacitor

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verb

1. to go around or avoid (a city, obstruction, problem, etc)

2. to cause (traffic, fluid, etc) to go through a bypass

3. to proceed without reference to (regulations, a superior, etc); get round; avoid

bypass Scientific  

/ bī′păs′ /

1. A passage created surgically to divert the flow of blood or other bodily fluid or to circumvent an obstructed or diseased organ.

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Other Word Forms

• by-passer noun
• bypasser noun

Etymology

Origin of bypass

1840–50; apparently back formation from by-passage; by (adj.), passage ¹

Explanation

When you bypass something, you avoid it, go around it, or ignore it. You might wish you could just read the books assigned in your English class and bypass the papers and exams. You can bypass something physically, like when you bypass the busiest intersections in town during rush hour, driving on smaller streets instead. You can also bypass things figuratively: political candidates often bypass hard questions from reporters, and big businesses sometimes find ways to bypass some of the taxes they owe. As a noun, a bypass is either an alternative road or route; or a heart operation that allows blood flow when an artery is blocked.

Example Sentences

By entering directly into the bloodstream, contaminated medicine can bypass the body's natural defences.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. can still export oil via pipelines that bypass the Hormuz, with higher prices offsetting lower volumes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Analysts expect those countries to expand those bypass routes, and for their neighbors to follow suit.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The analysts also said that the passage will never go back to how it used to be, adding, “there will be an accelerated process of constructing infrastructure” to bypass it.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

“When the Young Dragon conquered Dome, he used a goat track to bypass the Domish watchtowers on the Boneway.”

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• circumvent
• ignore
• neglect
• omit
• sidestep
• skirt