WordValecircumvent
to find a way around an obstacle
In more detail
1. (verb) to find a way around a rule, law, or system in order to avoid following it
2. (verb) to go around something physically; to bypass
Examples
- 1. The company tried to circumvent the new tax law by moving its headquarters overseas.
- 2. We circumvented the construction on the main road by taking a back street.
How to use circumvent
Circumvent is used when someone deliberately finds a way to avoid or get around something—typically a rule, law, or obstacle—rather than dealing with it directly. It often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that the person is being clever or devious to escape an obligation. The physical sense (going around something spatially) is less common in modern usage.
Common phrases
- circumvent the law
- circumvent regulations
- circumvent restrictions
- circumvent a rule
- circumvent obstacles
Synonyms
bypass · evade · skirt · sidestep · get around
Opposites
obey · comply with · follow
Word family
circumvention (noun) · circumvented (past tense) · circumventing (present participle)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use circumvent when they simply mean 'prevent' or 'avoid.' Circumvent specifically means to find a workaround to avoid something, not to stop it from happening or to stay away from it.
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