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
  • The country was able to keep its oil business mostly afloat by bypassing the strait with pipelines that shipped oil to a port in Yanbu on the other side of the nation.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Many stores now donate directly to food pantries, bypassing the food bank altogether.
    — John Lowrey, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of bypassing
Verb
  • The May through July numbers are expected to be the highest of the year, according to the Global Port Tracker, deviating from the traditional peak shipping season that historically lasted from August to October.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 9 July 2026
  • Apple's iPhone 18 is rumored for a Spring 2027 release, deviating from its typical September schedule, alongside a budget 18e model.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of deviating
Verb
  • There are pros and cons to trying to build strategies based on avoiding specific companies, noted Warren Hurt, chief investment officer at F&M Trust.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Still, avoiding a direct conversation will only increase the pressure.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • The Lakers have a history of turning undrafted players into NBA contributors.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Given modern advances, many organizations are turning towards auto-triaging by AI services and other digital tools to help ease the burden for physicians.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of turning
Verb
  • However, this article argues that true innovation in these sectors comes from embracing, not circumventing, constraints.
    — Nir Bashan, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Australia doubled the maximum penalty imposed on social media companies that fail to comply with the ban on under-16 users, as evidence grew that children are circumventing restrictions.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of circumventing
Verb
  • 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
  • Something worth veering off a highway for, that feels like a missing part of myself.
    — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of veering

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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 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on detouring

Nglish: Translation of detouring for Spanish Speakers

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