tangent 1 of 2

noun

ˈtan-jənt How to pronounce tangent (audio)
Definition of tangentnext
as in aside
a departure from the subject under consideration in the middle of her description of her dog's symptoms, she went off on a tangent about its cute behavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

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tangent

2 of 2

adjective

as in tangential

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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 tangent
Noun
In contrast to this, in regions dominated by shock waves, magnetic fields are orientated at tangents. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 July 2026 That's what happens when your star insults moviegoers or goes off on tangents about the characters's sexuality. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Adjective
This imaginary friend guides him through the tangent universe, encourages him to commit a series of crimes, and ends up triggering a chain of supernatural events. — Anatola Araba, ELLE, 1 Sep. 2022 An early tangent veers into naval warfare, with various forces fighting for crucial shipping lanes. — Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for tangent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangent
  1. aside
  2. tangential
  3. digression
  4. peripheral
  5. incidental
  6. irrelevant
Noun
  • The admission, an aside in a wide-ranging interview, raised eyebrows in the recovery community given the star’s very public embrace of sobriety after joining a 12-step program following his 2016 split from wife Angelina Jolie.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The pacing feels off throughout much of the film, with comic and contemplative asides gumming up the central caper.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of aside
Adjective
  • Culture may seem tangential to growth, but its impact is concrete.
    — M. Todd Abner, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The fingertips add another layer of intelligence through tactile sensors that detect normal force, tangential shear force, and the precise location of contact.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026
Definition of tangential
Noun
  • But these digressions were great theatre, with Cohn as the ringmaster.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • This analysis makes up the most compelling part of the book, which is written in a kind of structureless, hybrid blogger-academic style, and otherwise tends to bog down in confusing digressions.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of digression
Adjective
  • Vanderbosch recommends picking a patch of sky to focus on until a quick, bright streak passes by — even in your peripheral vision — and to avoid looking at your phone.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Even in the third-person narration of Call of the Wild the dramatis personae of eccentric, infighting dogs overshadows the flat and peripheral human characters until Thornton appears.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of peripheral
Adjective
  • For some patients, incidental expenses can put participation in a clinical trial out of financial reach.
    — Michelle Andrews, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The course wasn’t incidental to Gates’ professional career, either.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of incidental
Adjective
  • But according to Adobe’s recent research, as many as half of customers will disengage with a brand if promotions feel irrelevant or mistimed.
    — Sharat Potharaju, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This view has not been heard in the dizzying din of the emotional outburst and fearmongering of the side show and irrelevant conversation about transwomen in sports inexplicably occurring in the context of the WNBA.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of irrelevant

Browse Nearby Words

tanged
tangent
tangential
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Cite this Entry

“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tangent

Nglish: Translation of tangent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tangent

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