Definition of departnext

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 Barron originally committed to Baylor before decommitting after coach Matt Rhule departed for the NFL. — Sam Jane, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026 On Friday, before the team departed for London, the Eagles released Dalton. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Downing departed in 2011, leaving Hill as the sole continuous member from the band’s earliest lineup. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026 In January, Hodgson sold his ownership in the series to Radial Entertainment and once again departed. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for depart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart
Verb
  • Alme will still likely win based on the latest polling, but the margin could have been closer if Bankhead exited the race.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Yamamoto exited after giving up three runs and four hits in the shortest start of his career.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Composer Ghulam Mohammed died in 1968 after writing the songs, leaving Naushad to complete the background score.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Ryder’s Law was reintroduced this year after another carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park, and in a separate incident, tourist Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after falling off a carriage after the operator lost control.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Components can move from machining to assembly on the same day or the following day, enabling teams to test design changes on physical hardware sooner.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • However, the higher PPI is pointing to an economy that is gradually moving away from deflationary pressures even if the recovery remains uneven, said Hao Zhou, chief economist at Guotai Junan International Holdings.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In some ski communities, such as Winter Park, entire mountainsides of trees perished, dramatically altering the landscape.
    — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Thanks to their efforts, only one car, two Vespas and a motorcycle perished in this flood, Navarrete said.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Trailing the Brewers 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Dodgers desperately need to put themselves in the best possible position to win Game 3 and avoid four straight win-or-go-home contests.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As a result of the fine, Treasury said that Bank of America will work with a third party to report any further transactions to FinCEN that had gone undetected.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But the opening period didn’t end without a scary moment, as Antetokounmpo fell hard on his back side after being fouled on a dunk attempt late in the first quarter.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Shares of Oracle fell about 9% amid a broader downturn for stocks of top AI stakeholders.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • White said Salvation Brands is not to be confused with the big brand management firms such as Authentic Brands Group and WHP Global, which are getting all the attention these days.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Waddhwa moved to strike a film development deal around the incident after getting unsolicited inquiries from Indian media firms.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As more and more people succumb to AI psychosis, horror movies are (as always) the first to dive into the repercussions.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The pair had a fractured, even abusive, relationship, depicted in a series of flashbacks, until Mitt chose to end his life in the sea rather than succumb to a terminal case of cancer.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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