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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detouring
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
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
-
As an alternative to oral estrogen pills, which is what the women in the Women's Health Initiative study took, many women now use estrogen patches or gels, which deliver the hormone through the skin, bypassing a first pass through the liver.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
10 Mar. 2026
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That means bypassing often months-long wait times to get an appointment with a specialist.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On the flip side, deviating from perfection—not landing the lead in a school play or getting hormonal acne—registers as a personal humiliation rather than an inevitable part of growing up and being human.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Dim Sum Night at Arcadia PC Arcadia is deviating from its usual menu to offer a special night of Dim Sum.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And is there something to gain—politically, economically, or diplomatically—by avoiding conflict?—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
While many bulk carriers have strong links with China in terms of ownership, operation and cargo, the actual effectiveness of declaring themselves as China-linked in avoiding attacks is unclear, said Rico Luman, a senior economist at the Dutch bank ING who focuses on transport and logistics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s water everywhere, approach angles that punish the wrong side of the fairway, and a closing stretch with a long history of turning good rounds into cautionary tales.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Video later showed Good turning her wheel away from the agent who shot her.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump and Vance are now apparently circumventing that existing structure not for public safety, but for politics and power.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The couple also allegedly photographed hundreds of computer screens containing confidential information from Google and Company 2, in what appeared to be an attempt at circumventing digital monitoring tools.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That’s a strong hook, but Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke is just getting started with an erotic political tragicomedy that, like a Roomba, is forever veering off in unexpected directions.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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The curved silhouette subtly frames the décolletage without veering into overt glamour, striking a balance between softness and sophistication.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detouring. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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