detour 1 of 2

as in deviation
a turning away from a course or standard we'll regard this relapse as just a brief detour on your road to recovery from substance abuse

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detour

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to bypass
to avoid by going around we had to detour the construction zone in order to get to the stadium

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2
as in to deviate
to change one's course or direction we had to detour for a few miles around the section of highway under construction

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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 detour
Noun
Caltrans built a temporary bridge and detour across the river that is still used today. Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025 The closure would leave drivers, bus riders and cyclists in the lurch with no clear detour between downtown and neighborhoods to the east, advocates say. Jay R. Jordan, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Typically, the process goes like this: Vehicles are detoured into the checkpoint from the highway, queuing up if there is a line. Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2025 But Long Bright River detours heavily into the opioid crisis and police corruption. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
Noun
  • Vehicle or pedestrian deviations account for about half of the runway incursions at KCI, followed closely by pilot error.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2025
  • In the footage, the trio is shown accidentally killing a man named Mojo, a deviation from the cartoon's villain Mojo Jojo.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued the first waiver of the administration to speed President Trump’s border wall, bypassing environmental regulations to aid construction.
    Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Luna, a cosponsor of the bill, moved to bypass leadership and launched a discharge petition, a procedural move that allows a measure to move forward without the speaker's approval, to force a vote on it.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Even Senior Advisor to the President, Elon Musk has expressed sentiments on free trade (with Europe) that deviate from the direction of the administration.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Author and showrunner Jenny Han teases that season 3 will deviate from the storyline in her book series.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The only certain departure in defence is Jesus Vallejo, who neither the board nor Ancelotti have been counting on and whose contract ends this summer.
    Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Then, in the hours after Reid’s exit was revealed, the FIA’s former CEO, Natalie Robyn, gave her first public interview since her departure from the federation last May to BBC Sport.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In August, de Moraes increased the financial penalties and implemented a nationwide ban on X. Musk briefly circumvented the ban through Starlink, which provides internet service to many Brazilians, but he was evidently rattled.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
  • European companies might circumvent President Donald Trump's anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program, a legal expert has told Newsweek.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Ryan Coogler first turned heads with his 2013 debut Fruitvale Station, a shattering account of a fatal shooting that presaged the surge of the Black Lives Matter movement.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Lisa Rinna turned Wednesday’s H&M & LA event in Los Angeles into a family affair, attending the event alongside her daughters Delilah Belle and Amelia Gray Hamlin.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In another legend, the monk was said to have cut off his eyelids to avoid falling asleep during his meditation, one explanation for the doll’s wide-eyed stare.
    Rebecca Cairns, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Facing the Marlins for the second time in a week, the Mets (7-3) avoided facing ace Sandy Alcantara, with the 2022 Cy Young Award winner having been added to the paternity list earlier in the day.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Still no timetable on anything, but he’s been able to swing the bat and feel like there’s been some steady improvement day after day.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, (Last week: 1) The betting odds have swung massively into Gilgeous-Alexander’s favor with Jokić missing so many games recently with an ankle injury.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

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