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short-circuit

A form of short circuit — A usually unintentional connection of low resistance or impedance in a circuit such that excessive and often damaging current flows in it.

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short bypass go around get around

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Meanings

verbshort-circuit (third-person singular simple present short-circuits, present participle short-circuiting, simple past and past participle short-circuited)

present singular third person short-circuits · participle present short-circuiting · participle past short-circuited · past short-circuited

alternativeAlternative spelling of short circuit.
In my hand was a sharp knife—contemptible, you were satisfied, as a weapon; beneath my nose the 'flex' of the electric lamp. It was only necessary for me to draw the one across the other and the system was short-circuited.
1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

Synonyms & antonyms

verbcreate a short circuit in

Similar

Broader

verbavoid something unpleasant or laborious

Similar

bypass go around get around

Broader

Also see

bypass get around go around short

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry

APA

short-circuit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short-circuit

MLA

“short-circuit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short-circuit. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “short-circuit,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short-circuit.

Source: short-circuit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.