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
Trust that there is a sense of enlightenment waiting for you on the other side of this detour. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025 Drivers can take a detour from Arlington to Fort Worth. Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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 Motorists will be detoured using Kenrick Avenue. Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
Noun
  • As the duck progresses downstream, any tiny deviation will multiply.
    Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The surface of the display has an anti-glare coating and like most IPS panels offers a viewing angle of 178 degrees, both vertically and horizontally with less than 2% brightness deviation.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • From creators building businesses on digital platforms to startups launched by teens, many are bypassing traditional credentials altogether.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The decision safeguards employees' reputations by requiring corrections to personnel records and ensures that future administrations cannot bypass statutory protections to carry out purges of the workforce.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Even in states whose policy deviates from the CDC, each pharmacy can set its own boundaries on who can be vaccinated, and individual pharmacists may fear liability for vaccinating pregnant customers, Groves said.
    Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Dell said the real challenge is how quickly students who deviate from their peers’ politics can be ostracized.
    Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • His exit, which was was first reported by The Wall Street Journal earlier this month, was part of a string of high-profile departures at Musk's AI startup.
    MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Running constant checks on gate numbers and departure times.
    Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Clippers have publicly suggested that there is evidence the team did not circumvent salary rules.
    Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Taylor and Travis fall somewhere between the two, with their previous owner evidently looking to circumvent the shelter's current system for taking in pets.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He was arrested following a 33-hour manhunt after his parents recognized surveillance images of the suspect released by police and convinced him, with the help of a family friend, to turn himself in.
    Connor Greene, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Also, the tensions between Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Iyo could result in the latter turning heel on Vaquer during or after the match for the vacant WWE Women’s World Championship.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • However, by sharing so much of Lisa's code, the interface practically demanded a pointing device, and the mouse was selected, even though Raskin had so carefully tried to avoid it.
    Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
  • These writers will work under the latest Public Television Freelance Agreement, which the WGA East ratified in December after a lengthy and sometimes contentious negotiation cycle with PBS, narrowly avoiding a strike.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That kind of dexterity is apparent in the footwork, one of those features that can swing matches when the going gets tough.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • After the Blue Jays swung a trade to bring in Shane Bieber at this season's deadline, Edward Eng of FanSided's Jays Journal predicted the team would turn to him as a long-term replacement while letting Max Scherzer walk this winter.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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