digression

as in tangent
a departure from the subject under consideration the professor's frequent and extended digressions are the stuff of campus legend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 digression Whatever your feelings about Tarantino, give the Oscar winner this: His genre subversions and outrageous digressions are far livelier and more inspired than anything Ritchie concocts here. Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025 There are a handful of digressions in the category of local color, such as a francophone farmer who cooks haute cuisine and a bounty hunter nicknamed Preacher, who adorns his violent assaults with Bible verses. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 May 2025 To add to the information overload, there are flashbacks, self-aware references to classic whodunits, digressions into White House lore presumably mined from Kate Andersen Brower’s book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, which inspired the show. Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025 That’s just one of many tangential critiques the director lobs at Brazilian society in a movie that might have clocked in well under two hours without such digressions. Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for digression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for digression
tangent
Noun
  • Avoid tangents, overly complex presentations or cluttered visuals that overwhelm participants.
    Jason Richmond, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • But its event this year seemed tighter than usual, with fewer of the athletes that regularly participate going off on verbal tangents or taking up time for humorous asides.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Digression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/digression. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on digression

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!