Merriam - Webster Word of the day *circumvent*

circumvent

verb

cir·​cum·​vent ˌsər-kəm-ˈvent 


circumvented; circumventing; circumvents
Synonyms of circumvent


transitive verb
1

: to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem
the setup circumvented the red tape—


Lynne McTaggart


circumvent a problem



2
a
: to hem in
Circumvented by the enemy, he had to surrender.


b
: to make a circuit around
the river circumvented



circumvention
ˌsər-kəm-ˈven(t)-shən 

noun

Did you know?

The Circular History of Circumvent
If you’ve ever felt as if someone was running circles around those trying to get something done, you have an idea of the origins of circumvent—it comes from the Latin word circumventus, a form of the verb circumvenire, meaning “to surround or go around” (circumvenire combines the adverb circum, “in a circle around,” and the verb venire, “to come”). The earliest uses of circumvent referred to a tactic of hunting or warfare in which the quarry or enemy was encircled and captured. This meaning doesn’t exactly square with modern uses of the word. Today, circumvent more often suggests avoidance than entrapment; to come full circle, it typically means to “get around” someone or something, as by evading a problem or avoiding the law.

Synonyms

• beat
  
• bypass
  
• dodge
  
• [url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get around]get around[/url]
  
• shortcut
  
• sidestep
  
• skirt
  

Examples of circumvent in a Sentence

Los Angeles was the beachhead for the sushi invasion, attracting many Japanese chefs eager to make their fortunes and to circumvent the grueling 10-year apprenticeship required in their homeland. —
Jay McInerney, New York Times Book Review, 10 June 2007

… Rondon and Lyra paddled to the right side, where they found a channel that circumvented the worst part of the rapids. — Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005

His appreciation of this finer side of life is circumvented by a cynicism that he tells me is common to Eastern Europeans. — Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991

The thirty-six-hour workweek established by the garment-industry code was circumvented by having the workers punch out at five P.M., leave by the back door (their usual entrance), then return by the front door and work until eleven P.M. without punching the clock. —
Melissa Hield, Speaking For Ourselves, (1977) 1984

See More

Recent Examples on the Web In drafting the policy, Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) circumvented Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the Republican leader on the panel. —
Rachel Cohrs, STAT, 21 Sep. 2023 By attempting to circumvent the ruling, these colleges neglect to fix what’s broken. — Cooper Conway, National Review, 17 Aug. 2023 These vehicles are legal entities created by Chinese cities to circumvent borrowing restrictions imposed by the central government in Beijing. —
Laura He, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circumvent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology
Latin circumventus, past participle of circumvenire, from circum- + venire to come — more at come
First Known Use
1539, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Time Traveler
The first known use of circumvent was in 1539