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
His early musical influences were mostly rockabilly; his later listening took detours through punk and glam and blues. Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025 Westbound Loop 202 drivers could exit the Santan Freeway ahead of the closure and use either Pecos or Germann roads as detours. Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
In Expedia's report, some popular destinations include detouring from Brescia, Italy, to Milan, and from Santa Barbara, California, to Los Angeles. Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025 Traffic will detour on westbound I-10 starting at the Split interchange and reconnect with I-17 west of 19th Avenue, ADOT said. Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
Noun
  • But these past two games have been a stark deviation from that clean brand of football.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Screwing the MasterFrame 600’s graphics card brace to the lower edge of its open side was our only deviation from ordinary build practice.
    Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Now, former officials say, orders are bypassing lawyers entirely, or being glimpsed by legal experts sympathetic to Hegseth's and the White House's agenda.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Affair with a lobbyist and a divorce Flora has been able to bypass questions about his behavior in the past.
    Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Observers say Trump is unlikely to deviate from this trend, but that military commanders can never be sure what approach a new administration will take in the future.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Its music is both jazzier and more operatic; the flow and technical blueprint of each stage completely deviate from what’s been seen before.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Policy Forum previously reported 2012 was another high point for educator departures in Wisconsin, likely related to the 2011 passage of Act 10.
    Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Rather than having to track down ice at every turn, just pop this case and its TSA-compliant ice packs in the freezer prior to departure to keep your medication safe while in the air.
    Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The federal government argued that the lower courts were circumventing the power of the justices and improperly limiting the authority of the Department of Homeland Security.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Tom Worthington, from the Australian National University’s School of Computing, said circumventing a shutdown that appeared to have been ordered by the country’s Taliban leader would be risky for ordinary Afghans.
    Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Letang will turn 39 later this season, and Karlsson isn’t far behind at 35, so expecting any kind of a renaissance here feels unwise.
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Still, there’s an inkling of hope that Swift will turn her attention to her movie in the coming months.
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Refrain from entering water that may have electricity in it and avoid walking through floodwaters.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Engelbert said Friday that the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association continue to meet and negotiate with the hopes of avoiding a work stoppage.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the 2022 and 2024 cycles, pro-Israel groups swung into Democratic primaries, spending money against progressive critics of the Jewish state and keeping several out of Congress.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Rather than slash and swing away after spotting the play, Stott tried to get the ball down and deaden it, increasing the level of difficulty.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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