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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.

See Examples For:

workaround

Scientists previously explored plasmonics as a possible workaround.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2026

There are luxuries Mike Ness is willing to pay for, and there are luxuries for which he’d rather find a workaround.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

But pushing experienced people out isn’t a strategy, it’s a workaround.

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

Perhaps the writer was eager for firsthand experience with betting apps and asked his editors to find a spiritual workaround.

From Slate ● May 5, 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