CIRCUMVENT Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

circumvent

verb

ˌsər-kəm-ˈvent

Definition of circumvent

as in to bypass

to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness employees who try to circumvent the company's dress code

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to avoid

to avoid by going around circumvented the traffic jam by taking an alternate route

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to traverse

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 circumvent This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 Now Nightmare Eclipse claims to have effectively circumvented the company’s patch through ShieldBreak by apparently leveraging a different method. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026 The other half revolves around knowing which costly mistakes to circumvent. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Russia uses aging, often poorly maintained tankers in what is referred to as its shadow fleet to circumvent Western sanctions on Russian oil exports. — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circumvent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumvent

Verb

The third Cabinet office, Attorney General, bypassed the primary.

— CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Kuwait is holding discussions with Saudi Arabia and other countries about a possible pipeline to bypass the Strait, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Tariq Sulaiman Al-Roumi said earlier this month.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of bypass

Verb

The film itself was an odyssey of a shoot, as the cast traversed multiple countries and territories—Scotland, Italy, the Western Sahara, Greece—in all types of weather.

— Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
Currently, only a handful of ships traverse the seaway each day.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of traverse

Verb

Mateychuk is an excellent skater, with clear NHL edge work and speed to be able to skate pucks up ice, evade pressure and close on checks.

— Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Hennepin County’s top prosecutor calls the interstate clash over Castro’s transfer a needless test of states’ duty to honor extradition — and of whether federal agents can evade accountability.

— Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of evade

Verb

Due to a combination of circling real estate developers and personal financial crises, the Pogues’ homes are under threat.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
Plus, the brand highlights that the bags allow roots to grow toward the earth rather than circle the plant, which promotes better health than regular plastic planters.

— Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of circle

Verb

The bear scratched his arm, and the victim tripped and injured his foot while trying to escape, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

— Jon Haworth, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Roy can’t escape one difficult question, however, concerning his plans for what’s next after his contract’s up at the end of the season.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

The zoning resolution for the Manhattanville extension explicitly forbids encircling any of the outdoor spaces with gates or fences.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026
Instead, the Integrated Field Spectroscopy unit on the JWST's Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) measured the motion of hydrogen gas swirling around at high velocity in the accretion disks encircling each black hole.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of encircle

Verb

DeGravelles, who is based in Louisiana where Mohammed had been held, said harsher sanctions would be warranted if his orders continued to go ignored.

— CBS Baltimore Staff, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Lúcia added the Maria da Penha law needed updating because violence against women in Brazil is also a matter of power and as many femicides take place out of women’s homes in situations that are reported to police but ignored.

— Mauricio Savarese, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of ignore

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“Circumvent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumvent. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of circumvent

verb

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