Bypasses
/ˈbaɪˌpæsɪz/
verbnounB2third person singular present (for verb), plural (for noun)
Definition
As a verb, "bypass" means to avoid or go around a place, rule, or problem instead of going through it directly. As a noun, "bypass" is a road or route built to avoid a busy or difficult area, like a city center or traffic jam. People or things use bypasses to save time or avoid trouble.
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⚡ See It in Action
Verb: To avoid or go around something
- •The driver bypasses the traffic jam by taking a side street.
- •The software bypasses the security check to allow faster access.
- •She bypasses the usual steps to finish the work more quickly.
Noun: A road or route that goes around a place to avoid traffic or obstacles
- •The city built a new bypass to reduce congestion downtown.
- •Drivers prefer the bypass because it is faster than going through the city.
- •The bypass connects two highways without entering the town.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "bypass" like "go around," but more formal and often used for roads or rules
- ✓Picture a small road that curves around a busy city so cars don’t get stuck in traffic
- ✓It’s the feeling when you find a shortcut to avoid a long, slow path
- ✓Sounds like "bye-pass" → imagine saying "bye" to the main road and passing around it
- ✓Think of a doctor "bypassing" a blocked artery in heart surgery to let blood flow—creating a new path
- ✓NOT like "stop" (which means to end), "bypass" means to avoid or skip something but keep moving
- ✓NOT like "follow" (going the usual way), "bypass" is choosing a different way to avoid something
- ✓As a noun, a bypass road is NOT the main road but an alternative path around a busy place
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Go around: to move or travel around something (Use when talking about physical movement or routes)
- •Skip: to leave out or not do something (Use when talking about avoiding steps or rules)
- •Detour: a different route taken to avoid a problem (Use especially for roads or travel)
- •Circumvent: to find a way around a rule or problem (Use in formal situations about rules or laws)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "by-" (near, side) + "pass" (to move past something)
- •Etymology: From Old English "passian" (to go past) combined with "by" meaning near or aside
- •Historical development: Originally meant to go past or around obstacles in travel or movement
- •Modern usage: Used for physical routes (roads) and metaphorically for avoiding rules or problems
- •Common in technology, medicine, and everyday speech about shortcuts or avoiding difficulties
💭 Reflect & Connect
•When is it better to bypass a problem rather than face it directly? Can this be good or bad?
•How do bypasses (roads or actions) change the way people travel or solve problems in daily life?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The driver bypasses the ___ by taking a side road to save time.
2.To speed up the process, the system bypasses the usual ___ checks.
3.A bypass road helps cars avoid the ___ downtown area.
4.Sometimes, people bypass rules because they want to ___ delays.
5.The new bypass connects two highways without ___ the town.
6.When you bypass a step, you ___ it completely instead of doing it.
7.The city built a bypass to reduce ___ during rush hour.