Definition of detour
:a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure;
especially
:a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route
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Examples of detour in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples of detour from the Web
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The closure of northbound I-65 North with a similar detour is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 20-23.
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Visitors can fish on Mud Lake and along the West Branch DuPage River away from the work site, but hikers and bikers who want to cross the preserve via the West Branch DuPage River Trail need to take a 6.8-mile detour through Naperville.
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As a detour, motorists are advised to take the center lane at the Carraway Boulevard and continue onto 6th Avenue North.
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Eric’s brief detour into the pain and complication of the real world—one of the most engrossing conversations between Rachel and a suitor all season—lasted only about a minute.
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Distillery Tour Greenbar Distillery walks visitors through the art and history of its organic spirits—with detours for sips, of course.
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Mr Putin’s decision to make a 300-mile (480km) detour on his way to Hamburg to avoid flying over Poland and the Baltic states symbolically confirmed that line.
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So choosing the right path, including detours into promising valleys, requires a mental map showing all the effects of all the mutations at once—a map with not just three dimensions, but thousands.
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Snag a snack during a detour While avoiding the interstate altogether might avoid major snares, traffic on side routes will be congested with people who had the same idea.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'detour.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of detour
French détour, from Old French destor, from destorner to divert, from des- de- + torner to turn — more at turn
detour Synonyms
Synonyms
deflection, departure, divergence, deviation, divagation, divergency, diversionRelated Words
regression, retrogression, reversionNear Antonyms
adherenceDefinition of detour
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
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 of detour from the Web
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Police said that traffic in the area is being detoured.
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Traffic will be detoured to Commerce Street and delays for drivers are expected to be minimal.
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Vehicles traveling westbound on North Avenue will be detoured northbound on Tatge Avenue and then westbound on Morse Avenue.
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The Sheriff’s Department’s Senior Volunteer Patrol is on site to detour traffic in the area.
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Route 1 was closed for several hours, with motorists being detoured around the accident scene via Route 440 and Hughes Road.
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Only by detouring through Egypt for six months in 2001—with tickets purchased by American friends—did the Bols find a way out.
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Along the way, Adams detoured to Maryland for four national championships, three National Attacker of the Year honors and the first Tewaaraton Award as a senior in 2001.
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Qatar Airways, the flagship carrier, has detoured flights by hundreds of miles to avoid the airspace of boycotting countries, and travel executives are dangling promotions.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'detour.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of detour
1836
DETOUR Defined for English Language Learners
detour
verb
Definition of detour for English Language Learners
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: to go along a way that is different from and usually longer than the usual or planned way
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: to make (someone or something) go in a direction that is not planned or expected
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: to avoid (something) by going around it
DETOUR Defined for Kids
Definition of detour for Students
:a roundabout way that temporarily replaces part of a regular route
Learn More about detour
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See words that rhyme with detour Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for detour Spanish Central: Translation of detour Nglish: Translation of detour for Spanish speakers
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