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detour 1 of 2

noun

ˈdē-ˌtu̇r How to pronounce detour (audio)
Definition of detournext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
So what makes Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, and its detour-worthy dip, so special? — Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026 Cue a cross-generational odd-couple road trip, with rather more sightseeing detours than Parini had planned for. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
Southbound traffic is being detoured from West Third Street to the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, then to Second Street and Elm Street. — Jane Imbody, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Aug. 2026 By integrating waypoint tracking with an obstacle-avoidance cost, the robot could detour around an obstacle while continuing toward its destination. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
  1. deviation
  2. bypass
  3. deviate
  4. departure
  5. circumvent
  6. turn
  7. avoid
  8. swing
Noun
  • This configuration is designed to remain operational despite manufacturing deviations and wear that develops during extended operation.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
  • For the remainder of the year, the Global Port Tracker does not forecast too much deviation from the end of 2025.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of deviation
Verb
  • Organizations should assume any individual security control can eventually be bypassed.
    — Shane Buckley, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The Desert Wind line would run through Salt Lake City by way of Las Vegas and Denver, bypassing Idaho.
    — Rose Evans September 15, Idaho Statesman, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bypass
Verb
  • McInerny saw a character who deviated from the usual ingenue.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But maybe a line between North and South Carolina, between Tennessee and Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi then deviating south to divide Louisiana and Arkansas.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of deviate
Noun
  • The program is called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, allowing non-passengers to be at airport gates for arrivals and departures.
    — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Domenach said one of the most significant departures from the graphic novel was shifting the center of gravity toward the female characters.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of departure
Verb
  • About 25 years ago, then-NBA commissioner David Stern reduced the five-first-round-pick penalty imposed on the Minnesota Timberwolves for circumventing the salary cap in signing Joe Smith.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The government also has cracked down on foreigners who overstay visas or seek to circumvent property-ownership regulations, while also shortening visa-free stays.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of circumvent
Verb
  • Concentration has turned other people’s incidents into your downtime.
    — Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Jayden Williams, who recently turned 23, was impeached by the Stockbridge City Council in the city south of Atlanta after taking office in January.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of turn
Verb
  • During the prime years of her career, while widely acknowledged as an exceptional Schubert singer with impeccable German diction, Anderson still avoided expounding on the music.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Bowman just got out from under a massive long-term contract (Darnell Nurse), and should avoid another with an aging (albeit substantial) talent.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • They are populated by characters who swing between extremes, people on the verge of disappearing one minute and of being too forward the next, either revealing too much or too little.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Steinem's version of feminism today is more aligned with Democrats at a time when, at least for now, the country has swung Republican.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of swing

Browse Nearby Words

detonations
detour
detoured
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Cite this Entry

“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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