Synonym Chooser

How does the verb depart contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of depart are deviate, digress, diverge, swerve, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

Where would deviate be a reasonable alternative to depart?

The synonyms deviate and depart are sometimes interchangeable, but deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

When could digress be used to replace depart?

While the synonyms digress and depart are close in meaning, digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

How do diverge and depart relate to one another?

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

When is it sensible to use swerve instead of depart?

The meanings of swerve and depart largely overlap; however, swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

When can veer be used instead of depart?

The words veer and depart are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of depart Prince Harry departs after visiting the Centre For Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London, in England, on September 10, 2025. Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025 The Duke of Sussex was inside for about 55 minutes before departing. Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025 Lock your home before departing. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025 No contract yet for Jadeveon Clowney Clowney departed the facility on Wednesday afternoon without signing a contract. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for depart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart
Verb
  • Center Jonny King exited last week’s matchup against North Carolina with a back injury and is pushing to return against Rice next Thursday night.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Kevorian Barnes exits with injury TCU wasn’t able to get out of the game completely healthy, as starting running back Kevorian Barnes exited the game in the first half after getting hit on a 7-yard carry.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kirk promised that her husband will not have died in vain and said that instead his message would only become stronger.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Daniel Crémieux, founder of the French menswear brand Crémieux, died Friday at age 87 at his home in Aix-en-Provence, France, surrounded by his family.
    Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Plants can’t move like people do, so they are exposed to the sun all day long, Fuller said.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Both offenses are moving with little resistance thus far.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The outlet noted that the dead included a mother and daughter and three family members, who all perished together in the waters.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
  • For many, the image of the falling man, one of those who jumped to their death rather than perish in the flames of the Trade Center, symbolized the horror of that day.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While the most obvious advice is to not drive through deep floods, people want to get to their destinations and often go right into the asphalt swamp.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, on The Bold and the Beautiful, Ridge has had his own will-they-won't-they situation going with Rebecca Budig's Taylor Hayes.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • New residential property prices fell year-on-year during August in 65 out of 70 cities surveyed by the NBS, data also showed.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Penske’s complaint argues that practice isn’t a fair exchange and has caused significant financial harm, with the company’s affiliate revenue falling by more than a third (as a result of Google’s AI Overviews co-opting traffic that might have otherwise gone to Penske outlets).
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The company argues that the traffic which sites do manage to get from users now comes from users who are more engaged and thus more valuable.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Ahead of the premiere of her new Netflix series, Too Much, written for her by Lena Dunham, the 33-year-old reflects on what got her to this moment.
    Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But before long his hearing begins to disappear, leading him down a panicked trail of denial, anger and desperation.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Normally that motion disappears without a trace, but a growing field of research aims to capture it and turn it into electricity for sensors, wearable devices and other small electronics.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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