1
: a passage to one side
especially
: a deflected route usually around a town
2
a
: a channel carrying a fluid around a part and back to the main stream
b(1)
(2)
: shunt sense 1c
also
: a surgical procedure for the establishment of a shunt
have a coronary bypass
bypassed; bypassing; bypasses
1
a
: to avoid by means of a bypass
bypass a congested area
b
: to cause to follow a bypass
2
a
: to neglect or ignore usually intentionally
b
: circumvent
attempting to bypass the law
Examples of bypass in a Sentence
Noun
The bridge is being rebuilt so we'll have to take the bypass.
Verb
To bypass the city, take the highway that circles it.
Is there a way to bypass the bridge construction?
He bypassed the manager and talked directly to the owner.
She managed to bypass the usual paperwork.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 20 June 2024
By its nature, a bypass tunnel would reduce water flows through the Delta.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 June 2024
The thrust of Barrett’s opinion is that there is no longer a need to bypass the appeals court and decide this case on an expedited basis because of concessions made by lawyers on both sides.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bypass 
Noun
Additional medical conditions like diabetes, kidney failure, and advanced age make the patient unsuitable for open-heart bypass surgery.
—Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 20 June 2024
By its nature, a bypass tunnel would reduce water flows through the Delta.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024
Verb
Among those the Heat bypassed to draft Ware at No. 15 were Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, Southern Cal guard Isaiah Collier, Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, Kansas wing Johnny Furphy, Marquette guard Tyler Kolek, Duke guard Jared McCain and Baylor wing Ja’Kobe Walter.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 June 2024
The thrust of Barrett’s opinion is that there is no longer a need to bypass the appeals court and decide this case on an expedited basis because of concessions made by lawyers on both sides.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bypass
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bypass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bypass
Cite this Entry
“Bypass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bypass. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bypass
1 of 2 noun
by·pass
ˈbī-ˌpas 
: a passage to one side or around a blocked or very crowded area
bypass
2 of 2 verb
: to make a detour around
bypass a city
Medical Definition
bypass
noun
by·pass
ˈbī-ˌpas
: a surgically established shunt
cardiopulmonary bypass of blood from the right atrium to the aorta
also
: a surgical procedure for the establishment of a shunt
Note: When a bypass is performed on more than one coronary artery or branch, the number of times (double, triple, etc.) is often specified.
I was immediately scheduled for a triple bypass, but they decided to try an angioplasty. —Terry Todd, Sports Illustrated
see coronary artery bypass, gastric bypass, jejunoileal bypass
Terry Todd, Sports Illustrated
bypass
transitive verb
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