detours 1 of 2

Definition of detoursnext
plural of detour
as in deviations
a turning away from a course or standard we'll regard this relapse as just a brief detour on your road to recovery from substance abuse

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detours

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of detour
1
2
as in deviates
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

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 detours
Noun
One of the more memorable detours in Marty Supreme involves Marty's friend and colleague Béla (Géza Röhrig) telling a story about his time as a prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026 Posted detours on eastbound I-94 will direct traffic north on I-35E, east on Interstate 694 and south on I-694 to the I-94/I-694 interchange in Woodbury. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2026 There’s a few closures and detours on deck this weekend for roadways throughout the region. Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026 Drivers should avoid the area and plan for detours. Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Jan. 2026 Signs will be in place to advise drivers of the detours, and flaggers will be positioned to help keep traffic moving, airport officials said. City News Service, Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026 In South Florida, public art turns neighborhoods into galleries and errands into detours into someone else’s creativity. Eric Barton, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026 According to a truck driver interviewed by WJZ's Mike Hellgren, the reasoning was due to detours caused by the collapse of the Key Bridge. Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026 Many buses will operate on detours through downtown but will resume regular routing once out of the downtown area. Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detours
Noun
  • This followed a dizzying number of deviations by Greene from the party line, dating back to early summer—foremost were her very public calls for the Justice Department to release the Epstein files.
    Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
  • There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.
    Amanda Luberto, AZCentral.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • In a statement to CNN Sports, Tennis Kenya said that Abdelkader had been admitted to the tournament as a wild card – essentially a tournament invitation that bypasses the need to qualify for the main draw of a tournament or earn a place through the rankings system.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Building on earlier biochemical discoveries, researchers administered a CoQ10 precursor that bypasses the defective step in the energy-production pathway.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The director's take deviates from Shelley's in its emphasis on forgiveness.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The Disney performance, which typically runs on weekdays, deviates from the religious overtunes.
    Todd Martens, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The departures of Mizell and Hawkins left Montgomery as a player would could stretch the field.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
  • This stat is calculated by comparing each state’s one-way arrivals that originated in other states with its one-way departures that were destined for other states, using data from more than 24,000 rental locations.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Early prototypes shown at CES were assembled rapidly for demonstration, but Lumus says the underlying architecture avoids exotic materials.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Jérôme Sans, the exhibition’s curator, positioned the Cookie Factory as a site that deliberately avoids cultural isolation.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Due to Brigham’s indefinite incarceration and inability to earn an income, Taylor is seeking a lump-sum child support payment from his estate to satisfy his monthly obligation until the child graduates from high school or turns 18.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026
  • After finishing the letter, Anna shares a look with her mother that eventually turns into a smile.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This gambit circumvents the notorious way that measurements destroy quantumness.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 1 Oct. 2025
  • But the Free Speech Coalition said companies might still be liable if a user in a state requiring age verification circumvents geographic targeting with a VPN.
    Jasmine Mithani, Them., 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Forcefully thrust your hips forward to return to standing so that the bell swings up in front of you.
    Greg Presto, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
  • When the rudder is put over, the stern swings out first, so that if the vessel is in restricted waters, trying to avoid something ahead can result in hitting something behind.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.

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