Electricity.
to make (an appliance, switch, etc.) inoperable by establishing a short circuit in.
to carry (a current) as a short circuit.
to bypass, impede, hinder, or frustrate.
Bad weather short-circuited my vacation plans.
to develop or cause to develop a short circuit
(tr) to bypass (a procedure, regulation, etc)
(tr) to hinder or frustrate (plans, etc)
First recorded in 1875–80
First recorded in 1870–75
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These thread like growths, known as filaments, would keep extending until they created a short circuit and destroyed the pixel.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2026
Local broadcaster NDTV, citing unnamed police officials, said that a short circuit may have sparked the fire.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025
“Now they want to short circuit the whole process,” McGoldrick added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2025
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons ran a short circuit of the athletics track following the ignition earlier.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2024
In the midst of one prayer, smoke issued from the lectern and I thought we had gone too far but it turned out to be a short circuit.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
So a lot of people think bubbles are an ideological thing, instead of a material thing with reasons and motives that are totally rational — and that we can short-circuit.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
His 8-foot wingspan and uncanny quickness let him short-circuit opposing offenses all by himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
There will still be opportunities for regular people to short-circuit these attempted abuses.
From Slate ● Apr. 3, 2026
The submarine vanished on November 15, 2017 after reporting that seawater had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the vessel to short-circuit and start a fire.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
Cooper reminded Shepard that his body was covered with sensors and electrical wires; he’d short-circuit the system.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
The sales process likely short-circuits an alternative WBD plan next year to spin off its old-style TV assets, hoping to make its remaining assets more attractive to potential buyers like Apple, Amazon and Netflix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
Beyond that, the decision short-circuits the careful development of the law of PLCAA.
From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2025
Some scooters began catching fire which, auto experts say, was likely due to short-circuits or faulty battery management system.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2025
Hamlin has had so many memorable, boundary-pushing roles in film and television that the brain short-circuits trying to sort through all of his credits at once.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025
Cleanliness is a point that must be observed scrupulously; for spark-plugs are apt to foul only too readily, with the result that short-circuits and misfires are apt to occur.
That process normally requires an investigation, but can be short-circuited where there are serious harms, risks to children, and histories of non-compliance.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
But I was like this person who was short-circuited and I didn’t know how to fix myself.”
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026
His absence figured to make it hard for the Lakers to incorporate the slew of fresh faces they’d brought in to address the defensive deficiencies that had short-circuited their playoff run a season ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025
"Maybe it's the failure of Oslo that gave rise to the rather unconventional approach that Trump has taken, where he has short-circuited any sort of process and simply pressured and cajoled," Yacoubian said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025
Right now his brain is beyond short-circuited, and I’m realizing that he’s going to need a full reboot if he’s going to make it out of this situation alive.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
When those directives collide, the result isn’t growth but short-circuiting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
She’s the film’s sole draw, but Thatcher's expertise can’t save it from short-circuiting in the end.
From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2025
Don’t put it in a freezer – this might stop your device from short-circuiting but the problem will be back once you try to thaw it.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
Marsha Hunt appeared in more than 50 films before being accused of communist sympathies, short-circuiting her career.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2024
The fourth hit an electrical connection, disintegrating the plug and short-circuiting it.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
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.
