SHORTCUT Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

shortcut 1 of 2

verb

Definition of shortcut

as in to circumvent

to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness are you sure there's no way to shortcut the entrance requirements?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shortcut

2 of 2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of shortcut

Verb

An agency that shortcuts training is an agency prone to lethal errors. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 The remote even has shortcut buttons that take you directly to streaming services. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 May 2026

Noun

The beaver itself is a shortcut for the company’s larger retail brand – something customers see on signs, merchandise and inside its stores – and Buc-ee’s has invested in protecting it. — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 Refrigerated biscuits are the shortcut ingredient that get layered with basil pesto, sausage, and cheese for a pull-apart bread everyone will be asking for the recipe. — Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shortcut

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortcut

Verb

For a while, Michael believed that Leah would somehow try to circumvent the school’s vaccine requirements.

— Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
The naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz remains in place, secondary sanctions are being tightened, and pressure is being increased on countries and financial networks that have allowed Tehran to circumvent previous restrictions.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of circumvent

Verb

That was enough to prevent the administration from slapping Apple with higher tariffs, bypassing a massive increase in production costs.

— Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Choosing to house the forthcoming museum in the Arts and Industries Building would enable the Smithsonian to bypass the need for congressional approval.

— News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of bypass

Noun

Check the requirement, confirm the route, draft the plan, or ask one better question.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Together, Jaybush, Brad Chambers, and the American Heavy Moving team figured out a route through the city that avoided street trees, tight turns, and roads that run above old, fragile sewer pipes, which aren’t rated for heavy loads.

— Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of route

Noun

Authorities on Wednesday pre-emptively announced that roads leading to the port would be closed to non-emergency vehicles for seven days, according to state media.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, each NHL team must sign a permanent emergency backup who will be at every home game and travel with the team to all road games (like a bullpen catcher in Major League Baseball).

— Michael Russo, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of road

Verb

Those risks include scenarios in which AI could help create chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, autonomously carry out serious cyberattacks, or evade human control.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
The father-daughter duo has set up shop ensconced in the woods, herding donkeys and so far evading the violence closing in on them from the outside.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of evade

Noun

An Arkansas State Police trooper was captured on dashcam footage yanking the passenger of a vehicle by his hair and punching him in the face after a high-speed chase that ended in the streets of Blytheville.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
There’s no denying that the fall 2026 runways made a strong case for color; even the street style scene is on board, slipping into colorful shoes and sporting handbags in a variety of vibrant shades—baby pink, chartreuse, and cobalt.

— Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of street

Browse Nearby Words

shortcomings

shortcut

shortcuts

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shortcut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortcut. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shortcut

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes