DETOURING Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

detouring

verb

present participle of detour

as in bypassing

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deviating

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 detouring Westbound lanes of Interstate 80 were closed Sunday near Colfax, with traffic detouring through Secret Town, following a diesel spill from a semi-tanker. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 24 May 2026 All eastbound trips near the intersection were detouring as delays were expected, and students at Golden Valley and Bowman high schools were moved to different pick-up points. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 Brown apologized for detouring off-topic again. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026 Both Ball and Norman danced around the question, detouring to talk about everything from the First Amendment, partnerships among local law enforcement agencies, chronic staffing issues, possession of body cameras and protesters' right to record and report after an incident. — Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026 No detouring from the course that has got them to this point. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026 For three months, the party scouted out a path across the desert, frequently detouring around impassable canyons and mountains. — Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detouring

Verb

Given the unique nature of spreading credit among that many artists, Gilroy had to pull some strings—bypassing people’s agents to meet one-on-one.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
The program included bypassing, then replacing Poway’s aging Clearwell.

— Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026

Definition of bypassing

Verb

Subaru redesigns its midsize SUV without deviating from winning formula.

— Charles Singh, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Her full-length works often feature people, especially women, holding their ground and deviating from societal expectations, which creates dissonance between their internal and external worlds.

— Sky Davis, Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2026

Definition of deviating

Verb

The district encouraged residents to take preventative measures, as avoiding mosquito bites is the most effective way to protect oneself from West Nile virus and other illnesses spread by mosquitos.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
But advanced age alone doesn't provide a legal case for avoiding execution, said Gerod Hooper, an attorney with Florida's Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, a state agency that provides post-conviction legal representation.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

Mike Gansey and the Philadelphia 76ers don’t have an inkling which way the LeBron James leaves are turning.

— Tony Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
That volatility mirrors the album’s overall mood and thematic POV; TOY COLLAGES feels like one big, bad trip, Dean careening through the existential delusions of those around them before turning toward their own.

— Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026

Definition of turning

Verb

The lawsuit also references several actions taken by board members that Obeng characterized as circumventing his authority.

— Ilana Arougheti July 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
However, this article argues that true innovation in these sectors comes from embracing, not circumventing, constraints.

— Nir Bashan, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of circumventing

Verb

Video obtained by the Daily News shows the truck veering left toward the middle of Roosevelt Ave.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 12 July 2026
At the time, there was some thought that CNN could win over some of the Fox News audience by veering away from the anti-Trump attitudes.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 July 2026

Definition of veering

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detoured

detouring

detours

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Style

“Detouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detouring. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of detouring

verb

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