circumventing

verb

present participle of circumvent
1
as in bypassing
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness employees who try to circumvent the company's dress code

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in avoiding
to avoid by going around circumvented the traffic jam by taking an alternate route

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in circling
to travel completely around most casual joggers will be able to circumvent the reservoir without too much of a strain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circumventing Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, prisons were a way of circumventing the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 The then-head of the bank also was arrested for allegedly circumventing procedures in releasing the money to the charity. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 Fragmentation has allowed many powerful figures to get their message across by circumventing traditional media outlets whose questions many CEOs and politicians don’t want to answer. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The Clippers were still under investigation for circumventing the salary cap. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 About 25 years ago, then-NBA commissioner David Stern reduced the five-first-round-pick penalty imposed on the Minnesota Timberwolves for circumventing the salary cap in signing Joe Smith. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026 But with this return being locked in and the principal untouched in a way that stocks and bonds can't offer, an account could be valuable for those savers who want to earn a predictable return while circumventing market instability. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 Five first-rounders were traded to acquire George as the prerequisite to signing Leonard, and five more were forfeited as punishment for circumventing the salary cap. — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Russian forces are clamoring for Rassvet after SpaceX cut off access in February to the Starlink network by unregistered user terminals in Ukraine, circumventing Russia’s illicit use of satellite communications for military operations. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumventing
  1. bypassing
  2. avoiding
  3. circling
  4. evading
  5. traversing
  6. ignoring
  7. orbiting
  8. escaping
Verb
  • The latest filings suggest that freeze is thawing — though much money is still bypassing the Democratic National Committee.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Mercedes promoted Antonelli directly to the FIA Formula 2 Championship (bypassing Formula 3) with Prema Racing for the 2024 season.
    — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bypassing
Verb
  • In these situations, withdrawing into a literal or symbolic dark room—avoiding sources of stress and going to a safe place—can be adaptive in the short term.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Preserve local input while avoiding a patchwork of regulations, ensuring communities are protected and industry provides sufficient justification and incentives.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • Imagine Entertainment, was also circling Kraus’ scientifically accurate book.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • If there is indeed an exoplanet circling TIC 4206066, Rabtsevich may not actually be the first to have seen it.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of circling
Verb
  • The new Marvel series will see the hero grapple with his identity and humanity while evading a bounty hunter and reuniting with his son.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The suspects were booked into the Fort Worth City Jail and face charges of burglary of a building, evading arrest or detention, and criminal mischief, according to police records.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of evading
Verb
  • Oil drops as Hormuz traffic rebounds Oil prices fell as new data showed crude exports from the Middle East surpassed prewar levels, though any respite may be short-lived as attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz increased.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates between Durango and Silverton, traversing the San Juan National Forest and running along the Animas River.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of traversing
Verb
  • Isaac Gonzalez, a traffic safety advocate and founder of Slow Down Sacramento, said roads like Valley Hi Drive were built wide and open, which can lead to drivers ignoring speed limits.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Republicans stripped away key delaying tactics in recent years by ending the filibuster in 2017 and ignoring the Judiciary Committee’s quorum rules in 2020.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignoring
Verb
  • These can profoundly affect our orbiting satellites and power grid, so understanding the sun’s magnetic activity actually very much impacts us here on Earth.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Pioneer 12, also known as the Pioneer Venus Orbiter, spent 14 years orbiting Venus and studying the planet's atmosphere.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of orbiting
Verb
  • As the comet rotates, fresh ice enters the sunlight and sublimates; the escaping gas then drags entrained dust particles away from the nucleus.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • What better way to pass the hours than by escaping into a good book?
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of escaping

Browse Nearby Words

circumvented
circumventing
circumvention
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Circumventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumventing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All