Usage pattern:
to bypass [a rule / a person / a system]
They tried to bypass the rules by registering the company in another country.
Megpróbálták megkerülni a szabályokat azzal, hogy egy másik országban jegyezték be a céget.
You can bypass customer support and email the manager directly.
Megkerülheted az ügyfélszolgálatot, és közvetlenül e-mailt írhatsz a vezetőnek.
The hackers managed to bypass the security checks on the website.
We found a way to bypass the lengthy approval process.
Some users bypass the paywall by opening articles in a private browser window.
Learner examples
He tried to bypass the rules to finish the job faster.
Megpróbálta megkerülni a szabályokat, hogy gyorsabban befejezze a munkát.
The company found a way to bypass the tax system.
A vállalat talált egy módot az adórendszer megkerülésére.
She bypassed her boss and spoke to the director.
The app lets you bypass the password screen.
They used a trick to bypass the school’s internet filter.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "bypass" with "pass by". "Bypass" means to avoid something, often on purpose, usually to reach your goal more quickly (e.g., "bypass the rules"). "Pass by" usually means simply to go past something without the idea of avoiding a system or rule (e.g., "We passed by the museum").
Meaning
avoid a person, rule, or system
Collocations
bypass the rules
|bypass security
|bypass the system
|bypass restrictions
|bypass official channels
|bypass a problem
Synonyms
circumvent (more formal; often used in legal, technical, or bureaucratic contexts.)
|
sidestep (slightly informal and often suggests avoiding responsibility or a difficult issue.)
Antonyms
obey (means to follow rules or authority rather than avoiding them.)
Themes
work
|law
|technology
Definition
to avoid a person, rule, or system and do something in a different way from the normal way
To avoid dealing with a person, rule, or official system by going around the normal or required process.
Usage pattern:
to bypass [a town / an area / traffic / congestion]
We decided to bypass the city and take the smaller country roads.
Úgy döntöttünk, hogy elkerüljük a várost, és a kisebb vidéki utakon megyünk.
This trail lets hikers bypass the steepest part of the mountain.
Ez az ösvény lehetővé teszi a túrázóknak, hogy elkerüljék a hegy legmeredekebb részét.
To save time, trucks bypass the town center completely.
The new railway line bypasses several small villages.
Most drivers bypass the toll road during holidays.
Learner examples
We took a small road to bypass the city.
Egy kis úton mentünk, hogy elkerüljük a várost.
The new train line bypasses my town.
Az új vasútvonal elkerüli a városomat.
Many cars bypass the old bridge now.
The path bypasses the busy street.
Drivers bypass traffic by using this road.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "bypass" when "pass by" is enough. Use "bypass" when you choose a different route to avoid a place ("We bypassed the town"), not just when you move past something normally ("We passed by the town").
Meaning
go around a place or obstacle
Collocations
bypass the city
|bypass heavy traffic
|bypass downtown
|bypass the main road
|bypass congestion
Synonyms
go around (more informal and very general; does not strongly suggest roads or planned routes.)
Antonyms
go through (means to pass inside or within a town or area instead of avoiding it.)
Themes
travel
|transport
|transportation
Definition
to travel around a town or thing instead of going through it
To go around a town, area, or physical obstacle instead of going through or over it.
Usage pattern:
to take [the / a] bypass
We took the bypass to avoid the traffic lights in the town center.
Az elkerülő úton mentünk, hogy elkerüljük a közlekedési lámpákat a városközpontban.
The new bypass has reduced congestion in the city.
Az új elkerülő út csökkentette a torlódást a városban.
Local businesses are worried that the bypass will take customers away from the high street.
The government announced funding for a bypass around the village.
The bypass connects directly to the motorway.
Learner examples
Take the bypass if you want to save time.
Menj az elkerülő úton, ha időt akarsz spórolni.
They built a new bypass around the town.
Új elkerülő utat építettek a város körül.
The bypass is faster than the old road.
Trucks must use the bypass, not the city streets.
The bypass joins the main highway here.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the verb and noun forms. "Bypass" as a noun usually needs an article: "the bypass" or "a bypass" when talking about a road.
Meaning
road around a town
Collocations
take the bypass
|build a bypass
|the city bypass
|a new bypass road
|bypass route
Synonyms
ring road (often a road that goes all the way around a city, not just around one side.)
Antonyms
main road (the central road, often going through the town instead of around it.)
Themes
travel
|transport
|transportation
Definition
a road that goes around a town so cars do not drive through the middle of the town
A road that is built to go around a town or busy area so that through traffic does not have to pass through its center.
Usage pattern:
to have [a / a triple] bypass
He had a heart bypass last year and is recovering well.
Tavaly koszorúér-bypassműtéten esett át, és jól lábadozik.
The surgeon recommended a triple bypass to restore blood flow.
A sebész tripla bypassműtétet javasolt a véráramlás helyreállítására.
Bypass surgery is often used when arteries are badly blocked.
After the bypass, she needed several months of rehabilitation.
Gastric bypass is a type of weight-loss surgery.
Learner examples
My uncle had a heart bypass in June.
A nagybátyám júniusban bypassműtéten esett át.
The doctor says he needs bypass surgery.
Az orvos szerint bypassműtétre van szüksége.
She had a triple bypass and stayed in hospital for two weeks.
A bypass can help when an artery is blocked.
Gastric bypass is a serious operation.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "bypass" alone always means heart surgery. In medical contexts it often does, but outside medicine, "bypass" can mean avoiding rules or going around a place.
Meaning
medical operation to reroute blood
Collocations
bypass surgery
|coronary bypass
|gastric bypass
|triple bypass
|have a bypass
Synonyms
bypass surgery (more explicit; clearly states that it is a surgical procedure.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|body
Definition
a medical operation where doctors make a new path for blood to move around a blocked blood tube, usually in the heart
A surgical operation in which a new route is created for blood to flow around a blocked or narrowed blood vessel, especially in the heart.
Usage pattern:
a bypass for [fluid / current / gas]
The system uses a bypass valve to protect the pump from overpressure.
A rendszer megkerülő szeleppel védi a szivattyút a túlnyomástól.
Engineers added a bypass line to keep water flowing during maintenance.
A mérnökök kerülőágat építettek be, hogy a karbantartás alatt is áramoljon a víz.
An electrical bypass was installed to route current around the damaged section.
The filter has a built‑in bypass for emergencies.
Oil flows through the bypass when the main channel is blocked.
Learner examples
The machine has a bypass valve for safety.
A gépben biztonsági célból megkerülő szelep van.
We installed a bypass line next to the main pipe.
A főcső mellé kerülőágat telepítettünk.
An electrical bypass sends power around the broken part.
The pump stops, but water can still move through the bypass.
The bypass opens when the main line is blocked.
Meaning
extra path for flow or current
Collocations
bypass valve
|bypass line
|bypass circuit
|install a bypass
|oil bypass
Synonyms
shunt (often used in electronics or medical contexts; more technical and specialized.)
Antonyms
main line (the primary route for flow, not the extra or alternative one.)
Themes
engineering
|technology
|science
Definition
an extra pipe or line that lets liquid, gas, or electricity move around the main line
An additional pipe, channel, or circuit that allows liquid, gas, or electric current to go around the main route, often to protect equipment or control flow.