: 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
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
That means embracing detours as part of the plan.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
All traffic will be detoured to Pittsburgh Avenue across the Young Street Bascule Bridge.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
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Noun
Dickinson’s willingness to indulge these detours made the record his most fun, strange and diverse solo project yet.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
That means embracing detours as part of the plan.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
Over the period, portable message signs will detour motorists to southbound Interstate 805, state Route 163 and westbound Interstate 8, the state agency advised.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
All traffic will be detoured to Pittsburgh Avenue across the Young Street Bascule Bridge.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 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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