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detouring

verb

present participle of detour
1
as in bypassing
to avoid by going around we had to detour the construction zone in order to get to the stadium

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
  1. bypassing
  2. deviating
  3. avoiding
  4. turning
  5. circumventing
  6. veering
Verb
  • Trump is bypassing traditional processes and Congress to establish a major national monument by broadly interpreting his executive authority, challenging opponents to stop him, Ordoñez adds.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Soon after the attacks, Cohen flew to Doha on a private plane, bypassing official Mossad channels.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of bypassing
Verb
  • 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
  • The artisans stay true to the original colors and designs of the park — never deviating in 70 years.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of deviating
Verb
  • There are also ways to protect against mosquito bites, including insect repellents containing DEET or picaridin, avoiding outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, and wearing loose fitting long sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The discussions point to more incremental progress in avoiding an escalation of tensions in a delicate trade relationship that has major consequences for the global economy.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • Before turning it into a judgment about your abilities, notice what specifically bothered you.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Give the moment enough room to be ordinary before turning it into a conclusion about yourself.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning
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
  • But with this return being locked in and the principal untouched in a way that stocks and bonds can't offer, an account could be valuable for those savers who want to earn a predictable return while circumventing market instability.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of circumventing
Verb
  • The sheep were straying from the road, veering through the front yards of homeowners who weren’t in the grazing program.
    — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Investigators say the 2019 McLaren accelerated from a green light before veering into the tree.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of veering

Browse Nearby Words

detoured
detouring
detours
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Cite this Entry

“Detouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detouring. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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