: 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
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
As an ally of Moscow, China’s carriers continue to use Russian airspace, saving time, fuel and costs by avoiding the detours American aircraft must take.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Drivers should detour to East County Line Road, enter southbound I-25 and use that exit for Lincoln Avenue.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
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Noun
After a game that took so many detours and routed new paths — longer than any winner-take-all playoff game in history — his almost-heroic effort was all but an afterthought.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
As an ally of Moscow, China’s carriers continue to use Russian airspace, saving time, fuel and costs by avoiding the detours American aircraft must take.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Eastbound traffic was being detoured onto State Route 177.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Drivers should detour to East County Line Road, enter southbound I-25 and use that exit for Lincoln Avenue.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 24 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 19 Oct. 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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