DEPARTURE Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

departure

noun

di-ˈpär-chər

Definition of departure

as in departing

the act of leaving a place his sudden departure left them wondering if they'd upset him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deviation

a turning away from a course or standard any departure from the modernist orthodoxy was scorned by the city's cultural elite

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adherence

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 departure Susu’s identity as a Chinese woman inside a Japanese family, itself a departure from Tanizaki’s original text, became one of the production’s more pointed choices. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 Nevertheless, Mbappé’s departure places even more stress on a tumultuous period for Nike. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Schrier’s exit from the executive ranks comes just a couple of weeks after another key FX architect, Chuck Saftler, also announced his departure. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026 David Venturella is currently the senior official performing the duties of ICE director, after Todd Lyons announced his departure from the top ICE role in April. — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for departure

Recent Examples of Synonyms for departure

Noun

There has been considerable upheaval at City this summer, with Maresca replacing Guardiola and influential players like John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Rodri departing, too.

— Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Sunday is expected to be the busiest day at O'Hare Airport, with more than 300,000 passengers arriving or departing.

— Lauren Victory, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of departing

Noun

Astronomers measure these changes in brightness and can use that small deviation to infer that a planet is there.

— Thomas Fauchez, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
This configuration is designed to remain operational despite manufacturing deviations and wear that develops during extended operation.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of deviation

Noun

The exodus is nowhere near as large as in 2022, when hundreds of thousands fled in the first year of the full-scale invasion.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Maybe new coach Neal Brown is rebuilding the Mean Green quicker than expected after Eric Morris led a mass exodus to Stillwater.

— Chris Vannini, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of exodus

Noun

There’s never going to be optimal city management of road closures and detours to everyone’s liking, no matter how many public hearings of driver angst and outcry take place.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Lovelace and Southern have compellingly stitched together interviews, performance clips, audience reactions, and a few detours into the lives of individual fans.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of detour

Noun

In flight tests, the tiny drone navigated pitch-black enclosures, mapped unknown room layouts, hugged surface contours, and located exits without a single visual cue.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
While pilots and instructors stress standardizing procedures and flight paths, news incidents such as police chases, fires and crashes force pilots into new conditions during every flight.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of flight

Noun

Chemical spill triggers evacuation Michigan State Police personnel assisted the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office at the crash site.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Two K-9s from the Sheriff's Department, which handles security at City Hall, indicated the bag could contain an explosive or materials related to a bomb, which prompted the evacuation.

— Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of evacuation

Noun

Its modular design leaves room for additional hardware and software.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Mitragynine is an alkaloid that occurs in trace amounts in the leaves of the kratom tree, Mitragyna speciosa, prevalent in Southeast Asia.

— Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of leave

Noun

Jared Koopman, head of the IRS’ criminal investigations division, told reporters the defendants then allegedly used the proceeds to purchase luxury homes, send money overseas through wire transfers and make large cash withdrawals.

— Ken Sweet, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
For no-penalty CDs, withdrawals are not allowed within the first 6 days after account funding.

— David McMillin, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of withdrawal

Browse Nearby Words

departs

departure

departures

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Departure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/departure. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of departure

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

elegiac

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes