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