detour

1 of 2

noun

de·​tour ˈdē-ˌtu̇r How to pronounce detour (audio)
 also  di-ˈtu̇r
: a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially : a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route

detour

2 of 2

verb

detoured; detouring; detours

intransitive verb

: to proceed by a detour
detour around road construction

transitive verb

1
: to send by a circuitous route
detour traffic around an accident
2
: to avoid by going around : bypass
detour an accident site

Examples of detour in a Sentence

Noun After a number of unexpected detours, we finally arrived at our destination. The little restaurant is worth a detour. We had to make a detour around the heaviest traffic. We took a detour from the main streets. The road is closed ahead, so traffic will have to follow the detour. Verb We detoured around the heaviest traffic. A police officer was detouring traffic around the scene of the accident. Traffic will be detoured to 72nd Street.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
The official detour route will direct drivers heading north on Route 31 to use Fabyan Parkway, Route 25 and then State Street, and the reverse for drivers traveling south. Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025 Reckoning It’s been a bumpy road for the Mission: Impossible franchise (from varying quality to a brief Jeremy Renner detour), but one thing remains constant: Tom Cruise will risk his life for cinema. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Verb
The sinkholes closed and detoured a major section of I-80, impacting thousands of commuters, local businesses, and interstate travel for months. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 In another case, a package sent from Tucson to Denver detoured through Wyoming and Utah ‒ after first arriving Denver ‒ delaying delivery by five days. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for detour

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French détour, from Old French destor, from destorner to divert, from des- de- + torner to turn — more at turn

First Known Use

Noun

1738, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of detour was in 1738

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detour. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

detour

1 of 2 noun
de·​tour ˈdē-ˌtu̇(ə)r How to pronounce detour (audio)
 also  di-ˈtu̇(ə)r
: a departure from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially : a roundabout way temporarily replacing a regular route

detour

2 of 2 verb
: to send or proceed by a detour
detour traffic around an accident

More from Merriam-Webster on detour

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!