diverge

verb

di·verge | \ də-ˈvərj

, dī-\

diverged; diverging

Definition of diverge

1a : to move or extend in different directions from a common point : draw apart diverging roads

b : to become or be different in character or form The friends' lives diverged after graduation. : differ in opinion This is where our views diverge.

2 : to turn aside from a path or course : deviate diverge from a direct path

3 mathematics : to be divergent (see divergent sense 2)

transitive verb

: deflect diverge a compass needle

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about diverge

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Choose the Right Synonym for diverge

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course. swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness. swerved to avoid hitting the dog veer implies a major change in direction. at that point the path veers to the right deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course. never deviated from her daily routine depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type. occasionally departs from his own guidelines digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse. a professor prone to digress diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions. after school their paths diverged

Examples of diverge in a Sentence

A prism causes rays of light to diverge. They were close friends in college, but after graduation, their lives diverged.

Recent Examples on the Web

Flip the Script’s state funding has landed on the chopping block in budget proposals by former Gov. Rick Snyder and now Whitmer in part because of diverging opinions about its effectiveness. — Angie Jackson, Detroit Free Press, "Flip the Script program for ex-offenders fights proposed Whitmer budget cut," 9 July 2019 But diverging fortunes among the sector’s cohorts could weigh on further gains across the group, as airfreight firms, airliners and even smaller industrial manufacturers are all lagging behind the market. — Michael Wursthorn, WSJ, "Industrials Continue Strong Run Despite Pullback in Goods Orders," 26 June 2019 At its core, the spiraling violence in Sudan is showcasing diverging threat perceptions between the U.S. and its Gulf partners. — Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, "How horrors in Sudan undermined US trust in its top Arab allies," 12 June 2019 The answer to this contradiction lies in the diverging narratives of CBD and THC. — Amber Senter, Marie Claire, "We Have to Acknowledge That CBD Use Is a Privilege," 11 Apr. 2019 The diverging fortunes of fuel products derived from crude are influencing two oil benchmarks more than the state of supplies in the market. — Serene Cheong, Bloomberg.com, "Oil Price Benchmarks Are Defying the Laws of Supply and Demand," 4 Apr. 2019 Lawyers who seek the truth frequently confront diverging roads. — Katie Reilly, Time, "Rod Rosenstein Tells Law Graduates to Fall Back on ‘Your Own Moral Principles’ During Ethical Dilemmas," 11 May 2018 But there’s more to it—as the diverging verdicts on the cases of NT1 and NT2 demonstrate, each case is different. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Google Occupies an Odd Role in Enforcing Privacy Laws. A Businessman's Landmark 'Right To Be Forgotten' Win Just Revealed It.," 16 Apr. 2018 One famous example of when the states and federal government diverged on a big antitrust case was in the fight against Microsoft, although that was not a merger case. — Tali Arbel And Mae Anderson, chicagotribune.com, "States try to halt $26.5 billion Sprint-T-Mobile merger with lawsuit," 11 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diverge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.