bypass

American  

[bahy-pas, -pahs] / ˈbaɪˌpæs, -ˌpɑs /

Or by-pass

noun

bypasses plural

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)

bypasses, present (3rd person singular) bypassed, past participle, past bypast, past participle, past bypassing present participle

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

Derived Forms

• by-passer
  noun
• bypasser
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bypasses
  plural

Participles

• bypassing
  present
• bypassed
  past
• bypast
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bypass
  simple
• bypasses
  simple
• have bypassed
  perfect
• have bypast
  perfect
• has bypassed
  perfect
• has bypast
  perfect
• am bypassing
  progressive
• are bypassing
  progressive
• is bypassing
  progressive
• have been bypassing
  perfect progressive
• has been bypassing
  perfect progressive

Past

• bypassed
  simple
• bypast
  simple
• had bypassed
  perfect
• had bypast
  perfect
• was bypassing
  progressive
• were bypassing
  progressive
• had been bypassing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bypass
  simple
• will have bypassed
  perfect
• will have bypast
  perfect
• will be bypassing
  progressive
• will have been bypassing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bypass

1840–50; apparently back formation from by-passage; see 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

Last week, however, the makers announced that the film would bypass a theatrical release and instead premiere directly on ZEE5 under a new title, Satluj.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has kept sending oil via a bypass route to the Red Sea in addition to its tankers now exiting the Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

May's sanctions on brokers are the toughest measures taken by officials in years to plug loopholes that people long used to bypass capital controls.

From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026

Regional infrastructure also has come into play, including pipelines to bypass halts in maritime shipping.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026

“Point 17K states you must make the energetic particle radiation density buffer bypass the aft tactical resonance coil,” Klawde said.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

Related Words

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