: a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially
: a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route
detoured; detouring; detours
: to proceed by a detour
detour around road construction
1
: to send by a circuitous route
detour traffic around an accident
2
: to avoid by going around : bypass
detour an accident site
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Karen Campbell, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023
Other shippers opt for detours that can add thousands of miles and more than a week at sea — sometimes through perilous waters.
—Ruth Liao, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023
Drivers who brave the area must maneuver through detours, but commuters have another option: public transportation.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The good, bad, and ugly that dot all of our paths, whether paved with dirt or not, is filled with all sort of detours.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2023
After a brief detour into fronting local rock bands in North Carolina, Loveless returned to her first love, country music — and the blend of her high lonesome voice with country-rock fare would become her calling card.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2023
The car Burns was in made a detour and ended up in a Memphis neighborhood.
—Malka Abramoff, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2023
There is a detour to bypass that closure but another one spans from north of Islip Saddle to Vincent Gulch — scuttling direct access to the mountain town of Wrightwood.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The detour would have given researchers a chance to understand the seabed topography around Hawaii, or the conditions of naval operations and how submarines move in and out.
—Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Northwest Arkansas While none of Route 66 passes through the Arkansas Ozarks, plenty more adventures can be found by detouring 60 miles south of Joplin into the state’s northwest corner.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside Online, 13 Apr. 2023
As well as thanking customers who had sent tip-offs to the company, Risher added the driver of the vehicle in question hadn’t detoured from the GPS route provided to employees between jobs — adding other customers in the vehicle that day had been contacted but had not seen Tux.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2023
In August, however, the Republican presidential candidates’ debate detoured from the usual litany of empty soundbites into something darker: a collective dismissal of reality.
—David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
The lane closures prompted motorists to detour the interstate, leading to heavy traffic congestion on Baldwin County 64, portions of Alabama State Route 59, Alabama State Route 181 in Daphne, and U.S. 90.
—John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 16 June 2023
Although the interstate detoured the town's original concept, the residents' spirit carried on, and the Christmas theme remains.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2023
Additionally, motorists traveling west on John Harden Drive will not be able to drive through the James Street intersection and will be detoured north.
—Tony Holt, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2023
The duo’s stratospheric success is compacted to three albums from 1983 to 1986 before Michael detoured into an even bigger and broader solo career, but their accomplishments linger.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 30 June 2023
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Noun
His second book of everyday observations is loaded with detours, digressions, and humor.
—Karen Campbell, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023
Other shippers opt for detours that can add thousands of miles and more than a week at sea — sometimes through perilous waters.
—Ruth Liao, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023
Drivers who brave the area must maneuver through detours, but commuters have another option: public transportation.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The good, bad, and ugly that dot all of our paths, whether paved with dirt or not, is filled with all sort of detours.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2023
After a brief detour into fronting local rock bands in North Carolina, Loveless returned to her first love, country music — and the blend of her high lonesome voice with country-rock fare would become her calling card.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2023
The car Burns was in made a detour and ended up in a Memphis neighborhood.
—Malka Abramoff, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2023
There is a detour to bypass that closure but another one spans from north of Islip Saddle to Vincent Gulch — scuttling direct access to the mountain town of Wrightwood.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The detour would have given researchers a chance to understand the seabed topography around Hawaii, or the conditions of naval operations and how submarines move in and out.
—Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
Verb
Others will detour in their cars but find traffic congestion on surface streets, and there are still more people who will carpool.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Northwest Arkansas While none of Route 66 passes through the Arkansas Ozarks, plenty more adventures can be found by detouring 60 miles south of Joplin into the state’s northwest corner.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside Online, 13 Apr. 2023
As well as thanking customers who had sent tip-offs to the company, Risher added the driver of the vehicle in question hadn’t detoured from the GPS route provided to employees between jobs — adding other customers in the vehicle that day had been contacted but had not seen Tux.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2023
In August, however, the Republican presidential candidates’ debate detoured from the usual litany of empty soundbites into something darker: a collective dismissal of reality.
—David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
The lane closures prompted motorists to detour the interstate, leading to heavy traffic congestion on Baldwin County 64, portions of Alabama State Route 59, Alabama State Route 181 in Daphne, and U.S. 90.
—John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 16 June 2023
Although the interstate detoured the town's original concept, the residents' spirit carried on, and the Christmas theme remains.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2023
Additionally, motorists traveling west on John Harden Drive will not be able to drive through the James Street intersection and will be detoured north.
—Tony Holt, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2023
The duo’s stratospheric success is compacted to three albums from 1983 to 1986 before Michael detoured into an even bigger and broader solo career, but their accomplishments linger.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 30 June 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Dictionary Entries Near detour
Cite this Entry
“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detour. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
detour
1 of 2 noun
de·tour
ˈdē-ˌtu̇(ə)r 
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
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