en route

adverb or adjective

: on or along the way
he reads en route
arrived early despite en route delays

Examples of en route in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Prior to the Air Alaska catastrophe, Boeing appeared en route to at least approximating its fantastic run prior to the two fatal crashes. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 On top of the regular NBA season, James has also played 3 1/2 seasons worth of games in the playoffs, en route to four titles in 10 NBA Finals appearances. Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 3 Mar. 2024 Monk scored 29 points in the second half, the most in a single half of his career, en route to a season-high 39. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 The team won 21 out of 22 races, with Verstappen claiming victory a record 19 times en route to a third drivers’ title. Sam Joseph, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Hester continued to be one of the NFL's most dangerous return specialists, leading the league three times (2006, 2007 and 2010) in punt return touchdowns en route to setting the career record. Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Miami Dolphins, 1972, 1973, Super Bowls VII, VIII: Don Shula’s Dolphins went 17-0 — the NFL’s last undefeated team — en route to their first Super Bowl victory, over Washington. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024 Detained in Argentina Argentine authorities detained the Boeing aircraft, including a flight crew of 14 Venezuelans and five Iranians, after its stop in Buenos Aires en route to carrying auto parts to Uruguay, according to published reports. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2024 In contrast, Purdy was 13-of-16 for 174 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ second-half comeback en route to the NFC Championship two weeks ago. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'en route.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of en route was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near en route

Cite this Entry

“En route.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/en%20route. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

en route

adverb
: on or along the way

More from Merriam-Webster on en route

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!