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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Carriers started detouring away from Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detouring

Verb

The failure may not come from an attacker bypassing a security control but from an authorized system taking an action that was technically permitted but operationally wrong.

— Rick Vanover, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
The Pan-Arctic Cable project could also extend to Canada and eventually link with Japan and South Korea, notably bypassing the United States.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of bypassing

Verb

The complication shows the moon phases for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with a 135-tooth driving wheel that drastically enhances accuracy, deviating by just one day every 122 years.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 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 deviating

Verb

Alternately, Senate leaders could wait to pass the bill until daylight saving time resumes next March, avoiding an awkward midwinter time jump.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
These guidelines address avoiding delays in pregnant women and discuss the safety to perform MRIs without contrast and CT scans with contrast.

— Elyce Cardonick, STAT, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

America must become better at turning breakthrough ideas into products the world can afford.

— Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On October 24, 2006, Taylor Swift was released—the debut album by a 16-year-old with blonde curls, cowboy boots, and a special talent for turning heartbreak into hits.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of turning

Verb

All three said West Point appears to be circumventing the judge's ruling by using a different justification to continue to enforce its speech rules.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
The company also noted that its models have become better at circumventing some safety techniques, including by concealing their objectives or behaviors.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of circumventing

Verb

Her penchant for polished and voluminous hair and luminous skin feels romantic without veering into the overly sweet.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
The 14-song set list provided a nifty overview of the breadth of her musical influences, veering from mountain music to her key country efforts to her crossover material and to the spiritual themes that invariably informed her work.

— Tom Roland, Billboard, 27 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of detouring

verb

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