workaround

American  

[wurk-uh-round] / ˈwɜrk əˌraʊnd /

Or work-around

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

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workaround British  

/ ˈwɜːkəˌraʊnd /

noun

1. a method of circumventing or overcoming a problem in a computer program or system

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Etymology

Origin of workaround

First recorded in 1970–75; work + around

Example Sentences

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

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

For those who feel the fund for their retirement year may not sufficiently capture stock-market gains, there is a simple workaround.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Fortunately, the rest of the brain is equipped with a workaround for the bottleneck.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker