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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bypass
to avoid by going around
we had to detour the construction zone in order to get to the stadium
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
The El Chapo detour Penn’s attempt to leverage his celebrity into geopolitical relevance did not stop in Caracas.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Visitors will be detoured to the Piedmont Road exit, which will become a rerouted entrance with a temporary two-way traffic signal.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
Noun
In a show all about risk-taking and its (mostly destructive) consequences, both admit that making such a detour from its origins is itself a high-stakes gamble.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
The El Chapo detour Penn’s attempt to leverage his celebrity into geopolitical relevance did not stop in Caracas.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
More than a dozen bus routes will be detoured due to road closures along the marathon route, SacRT said.
—Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Visitors will be detoured to the Piedmont Road exit, which will become a rerouted entrance with a temporary two-way traffic signal.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
Noun
-
With each deviation, signals are repeated and the idea of a national immunization standard becomes increasingly incoherent.—
Richard Hughes IV,
STAT,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The system draws on data from devices like the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring to establish a personal baseline, then looks for subtle deviations linked to early dementia research.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Similar to fellow Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze — another keen chess player — the assumption would be that the skills taken from the board game have helped Zubimendi be a step ahead in enticing and then bypassing opposition players.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In the mid-20th century, egg coffee was invented as a creative way to bypass milk shortages of the time.—
Arundhati Hazra,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The resolution would authorize the state to redraw its congressional district maps in the middle of the 10-year cycle, deviating from the current practice of redistricting only after the federal census every 10 years.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
So don’t expect Bowden to deviate from his roster-building plan now, even though USC might have immediate needs at several spots, such as defensive line, linebacker, the secondary and receiver.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Werner will be a welcome addition to the Quakes’ attack after the departure of Josef Martinez to Tijuana.—
Mercury News,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The move marks a departure from past administrations, which have typically moved quickly to open Justice Department civil rights reviews of fatal encounters involving law enforcement, even when criminal charges were considered unlikely.—
Greg Wehner , Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In Washington, the president believes that might makes right, that the courts are simply speed bumps, not stop signs — that democracy is a nuisance to be circumvented.—
Sacramento Bee staff,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The unilateral interceptions could complicate Ukraine peace talks between the US and Russia, which is said to use a fleet of shadow tankers to circumvent Western sanctions.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Researchers in Germany are set to turn green waste, hay and algae into fully biodegradable plastics.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Together, these trends have turned industrial space into a cornerstone of national logistics and digital capacity.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
To avoid this dilemma, my aunt always travels with a portable power bank like this slim option from Anker.—
Stephanie Gray,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Learn how to properly thaw frozen pipes, and how to avoid them in the first place.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Cubs won’t be tripping over themselves to part with a player like that, but the Red Sox might be uniquely well positioned to swing a deal.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The kids were up at daybreak, congregating beneath the parachute, having already swung on the rope swing, picked on one another, cried a little, and gotten into a cooler of sodas.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
