Workaround

//ˈwɜːk.əɹaʊnd// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A means of overcoming some obstacle, especially an obstacle consisting of constraints, or laws or regulations.

    "More significantly, rigid deference to [Justin] Bieber’s still-young core fan base keeps things resolutely PG, with any acknowledgement of sex either couched in vague “touch your body” workarounds or downgraded to desirous hand-holding and eye-gazing."

  2. 2
    A procedure or a temporary fix that bypasses a problem and allows a user to continue working until a better solution can be provided.
  3. 3
    An impromptu and temporary response to an unforeseen problem or risk.

Synonyms

All synonyms
kludgeklugeband-aidband-aid solutionbodgecludge

Example

More examples

"The workaround is surprisingly elaborate, but the good news is I've already done the heavy lifting."

Etymology

From work + around.

More for "workaround"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.