19 Other Ways to Say Bypass (With Examples)

You often need to find a way around a problem or a physical block. When you want to sound more natural, using other ways to say bypass can really help your writing pop. It is all about choosing the right word for the specific situation you are currently facing. Let’s look at some great options that will make your daily conversations much smoother and more interesting for everyone who is listening to you today.

19 Another Way to Say Bypass (With Examples)

Go Around

This is perhaps the most common way to describe moving past an obstacle without touching it. You simply change your path to avoid a person or a thing that is sitting right in your way. It feels very friendly and easy to understand for most people. I use this phrase all the time when I am walking through a crowded mall or driving on a busy street. It keeps your sentences short, sweet, and very clear for your readers.

Can we go around this puddle?
You should go around the back.
The path goes around the big lake.
I had to go around the desk.
They decided to go around the fence.
Let us go around the long line.

Skip

When you want to ignore a step in a process or miss a part of a book, skip is a perfect choice. It implies that you are moving quickly to the next important part because the current one is not needed. This word feels light and energetic. It tells the reader that you are saving time. Use it when you want to get straight to the good stuff without wasting any more of your precious afternoon or morning.

I will skip the first chapter.
Please skip the ads on video.
She decided to skip the meeting today.
You can skip the line with this.
Do not skip your morning breakfast today.
We should skip the boring intro part.

Avoid

If there is something negative or a person you do not want to deal with, avoid is the best word to pick. It shows that you are being careful to stay away from a specific situation. It is a very proactive word that suggests you are making a smart choice for your own peace of mind. Using this word helps people see that you are being quite thoughtful about where you go and what you do every day.

Try to avoid the heavy city traffic.
I want to avoid getting a cold.
Please avoid the wet paint on wall.
You should avoid eating too much sugar.
They avoid the park after the sunset.
We avoid the busy store on Sunday.

Circumnavigate

This is a fancy word that sounds very impressive but it actually has a simple meaning. It mostly means to travel all the way around something, like an island or even the whole world. While it sounds big, it is just a precise way to say you are going around a large area. It adds a bit of professional flavor to your blog posts or stories. It makes you sound like a very brave and bold world explorer.

They plan to circumnavigate the small island.
He wants to circumnavigate the entire globe.
We will circumnavigate the dark forest area.
The boat will circumnavigate the rocky coast.
It took years to circumnavigate the earth.
Let us circumnavigate the construction site now.

Evade

When you are trying to stay away from someone who is looking for you or trying to catch you, evade works perfectly. It has a bit of a sneaky or clever feeling to it. You are using your brain to stay out of sight or out of trouble. It is a great word for games or when you are talking about avoiding a difficult question from a boss. It sounds much more active than just staying away.

The cat tried to evade the dog.
He managed to evade the tricky question.
They will evade the heavy security guards.
The thief tried to evade the police.
You cannot evade your taxes for long.
She helped him evade the mean bully.

Sidestep

Imagine taking a quick step to the side to let a ball fly past you. That is exactly what sidestepping feels like in a conversation. You are dodging a problem or a topic very quickly and neatly. It is a very useful word when you are dealing with a difficult social situation or a tough task at work. It shows that you are agile and can think on your feet when things get a little bit messy.

She tried to sidestep the main issue.
He will sidestep the puddles on road.
You should sidestep the angry crowd today.
They sidestep the rules to save time.
I will sidestep the drama at work.
Can you sidestep that broken glass piece?

Detour

A detour is a different route that you take when the main road is closed for some reason. It usually takes a bit longer, but it gets you to your destination safely. Using this word makes people think of cars and maps. It is a very practical way to talk about finding a new way to finish a project or get home. It suggests that while there is a delay, you still have a solid plan in place.

We took a detour through the woods.
The detour added ten minutes of driving.
Follow the sign for the road detour.
I had to detour around the crash.
The construction forced a long city detour.
Let us take a detour to park.

Circumvent

This word is often used when you find a clever way to get around a rule or a law. It implies that you are being a bit crafty to get what you want. While it can sometimes sound a little bit shady, it is often used in business to describe finding new solutions. It is a strong word that shows you are a very smart problem solver who knows how to handle complex and difficult systems with total ease.

They tried to circumvent the new law.
Can we circumvent the slow computer system?
She found a way to circumvent rules.
He will circumvent the security gate tonight.
We need to circumvent the budget cuts.
The app helps circumvent the long wait.

Skirt

When you skirt something, you stay right on the edge of it without actually going inside. It is like walking along the border of a forest instead of hiking through the trees. This is a lovely word to use when you want to describe being very close to something but still staying separate from it. It feels very visual and helps the reader see exactly where you are standing in relation to the obstacle or the topic.

The road skirts the blue mountain range.
We will skirt the edge of town.
She tried to skirt the main problem.
The path skirts around the private garden.
They will skirt the heavy rain clouds.
I like to skirt the noisy crowds.

Bypass (Alternative)

Wait, we are looking for other ways to say the word itself, but sometimes a slight change in how you use it works. You can think of it as a noun or a verb depending on the sentence. It describes a path that is built to go around a town. This helps keep the fast traffic away from the quiet local streets. It is a very technical but simple word that everyone knows and understands when they are traveling or driving.

The new bypass saves us much time.
We will bypass the city center today.
Use the bypass to avoid the lights.
They built a bypass for the trucks.
The bypass is open for all cars.
Please bypass the broken bridge for now.

Ignore

If you choose to ignore something, you are acting as if it is not even there. You are bypassing it with your mind. This is a very powerful choice because it shows you are focusing on what really matters to you. It is simple and direct. When you tell someone to ignore a distraction, they know exactly what to do. It removes the power from the obstacle and puts the power back into your own hands and your focus.

Just ignore the noise in the hall.
I will ignore the mean comments online.
You should ignore the messy room now.
She decided to ignore the ringing phone.
They ignore the signs on the wall.
We can ignore the small mistakes today.

Pass By

This phrase is very literal and easy for kids and adults alike. It simply means to move past something as you go on your way. You might pass by a shop or pass by a friend on the street. It does not mean you are avoiding them on purpose. It just describes the motion of moving from one point to another. It is a very calm and neutral way to describe your daily movement through the busy world.

I pass by the bakery every day.
Did you pass by the old school?
We will pass by the big church.
They pass by the park on foot.
She had to pass by the house.
The bus will pass by your stop.

Overlook

Sometimes you bypass something because you do not notice it or you choose not to see it. Overlook is the perfect word for this. It can be a mistake, or it can be a kind choice to forgive a small error. It suggests that your eyes went right over the top of the thing. It is a very human word that describes how we all miss things sometimes when we are busy or when we are very tired.

Do not overlook the small details here.
I will overlook your late arrival today.
They often overlook the pretty flowers there.
She chose to overlook the rude remark.
We cannot overlook the safety rules now.
You might overlook the hidden key inside.

Dodge

Dodge is a fun and active word. It makes me think of sports or playing outside. You are moving your body quickly to stay out of the way of something coming at you. It is very fast and sudden. When you dodge a question or a ball, you are being very quick. This word adds a lot of action to your writing. It makes the reader feel the speed of the movement you are describing in your story.

He had to dodge the falling branches.
She will dodge the flying soccer ball.
Can you dodge the spray of water?
They dodge the traffic in the street.
I try to dodge the cold wind.
We must dodge the big mud holes.

Shunt

Shunt is a word that often comes from the world of trains or medicine. It means to move something onto a different path or a side track. It feels very mechanical and firm. When you shunt a task to someone else, you are pushing it away from yourself. It is a very specific word that shows a clear change in direction. It is great for when you want to sound a bit more technical or very professional.

They will shunt the train to side.
The doctor had to shunt the fluid.
She will shunt the work to him.
The power was shunted to the backup.
We shunt the calls to the office.
He was shunted to a different team.

Leapfrog

This is a very creative way to say you are going over something to get ahead. Just like the game, you are jumping past the person in front of you. It is often used in business when one company becomes better than another very quickly. It feels positive and full of growth. It shows that you are not just going around an obstacle, but you are actually doing better than it. It is a very exciting and fun word.

We will leapfrog the competition this year.
The tech will leapfrog the old models.
She hopes to leapfrog to the top.
They leapfrog over the basic training steps.
Can we leapfrog the middle man now?
The team will leapfrog into first place.

Cut Across

When you want to take a shortcut, you cut across a field or a parking lot. You are leaving the main path to find a shorter way. It is a very common phrase that everyone uses when they are in a hurry. It suggests that you are being smart with your time. It is a very down to earth way to describe finding a better route. Most people do this every day when they are walking to school or work.

Let us cut across the green grass.
I will cut across the empty lot.
They cut across the park to save.
She decided to cut across the backyard.
We can cut across the mall floor.
Do not cut across the busy highway.

Outflank

This word comes from the military, but we use it in sports and business too. It means to move around the side of an enemy to get a better position. It is all about strategy and being smarter than the other person. When you outflank someone, you are showing that you have a better plan. It is a very strong and confident word. It makes you sound like a leader who knows exactly how to win a tough fight.

The team tried to outflank the defense.
We must outflank the other big company.
She will outflank her rivals in court.
They outflank the guards to get inside.
He used a clever trick to outflank.
Can you outflank the problem with logic?

Give a Wide Berth

This is a cool phrase that comes from sailing. It means to keep a lot of distance between you and something else. If a ship is dangerous, you give it a wide berth. In real life, you might do this with an angry person or a big dog. It shows that you are being extra careful to stay safe. It is a very descriptive way to say you are bypassing something by a very large and safe distance.

Give the mean dog a wide berth.
I give the construction site wide berth.
You should give the argument wide berth.
They give the broken fence wide berth.
She gave the boss a wide berth.
We give the deep water wide berth.

Final Thoughts

I hope this list helps you find many other ways to say bypass in your own writing. Using different words makes your stories much more fun to read for everyone. You can pick a simple word like skip or a fancy one like circumnavigate. It all depends on what you are trying to say. Keep practicing these new words every single day. I am sure you will become a great writer very soon. Thank you for reading my blog post today.