: 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
PC Magazine, 11 July 2025
The Royals’ fireman reliever showed developmental traits as a hitter, but his career took a fateful detour in 2021.
—Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
Motorists will detour on U.S. 10, Minnesota 610 and U.S. 169.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
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 latest one sees our leads on a summer road trip that takes a detour to a camp populated by vampires and daywalkers.
—PC Magazine, 11 July 2025
The Royals’ fireman reliever showed developmental traits as a hitter, but his career took a fateful detour in 2021.
—Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
Verb
Westbound Loop 101 traffic exiting at 27th Avenue could detour along the Beardsley frontage road.
—Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
Motorists will detour on U.S. 10, Minnesota 610 and U.S. 169.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 10 July 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 18 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share