branch off
phrasal verb
branched off; branching off; branches off
: to separate from something and move in a different direction
The stream branched off to the left.
—often + fromStreets branch off from both sides of the highway.
Examples of branch off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The filmmakers offered choices branching off from pivotal points within the narrative that led to a range of conclusions that either worked, eventually triggering the end credits, or didn’t, propelling the viewer back to an earlier point to try again.
—
Courtney Howard, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023
This period of rapid change began after humans branched off from chimpanzees, making the results of the changes unique to humans.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023
That point in time would mark the origins of English and German as distinct languages, branching off from a common proto-Germanic language.
—Lucy Tu, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2023
Spurs branching off the main trail would provide options for reaching into population centers, such as Benton, Alexander and Bauxite.
—Josh Snyder, Arkansas Online, 31 July 2023
The branch of the tree which led to bears, dogs, and seals emerged tens of millions of years ago; primates branched off the tree many millions of years after that.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023
One such area is the South Fork Koyukuk River, which branches off the Yukon River, at mile 156.3 of the Dalton Highway.
—Carolyn Hagler, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Apr. 2023
Scientists have discovered which animal was the first to branch off from our collective common ancestor.
—Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 9 June 2023
For Takayuki Nakayama, that meant growing up listening to Public Enemy and, eventually, branching off into different international takes on the genre, including German and Italian hip-hop.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2023
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Courtney Howard, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023
This period of rapid change began after humans branched off from chimpanzees, making the results of the changes unique to humans.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023
That point in time would mark the origins of English and German as distinct languages, branching off from a common proto-Germanic language.
—Lucy Tu, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2023
Spurs branching off the main trail would provide options for reaching into population centers, such as Benton, Alexander and Bauxite.
—Josh Snyder, Arkansas Online, 31 July 2023
The branch of the tree which led to bears, dogs, and seals emerged tens of millions of years ago; primates branched off the tree many millions of years after that.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023
One such area is the South Fork Koyukuk River, which branches off the Yukon River, at mile 156.3 of the Dalton Highway.
—Carolyn Hagler, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Apr. 2023
Scientists have discovered which animal was the first to branch off from our collective common ancestor.
—Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 9 June 2023
For Takayuki Nakayama, that meant growing up listening to Public Enemy and, eventually, branching off into different international takes on the genre, including German and Italian hip-hop.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'branch off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Branch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/branch%20off. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.
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