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
Drivers were advised to plan for potential detours and delays. Richard Ramos, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026 Macario, 26, has taken injury detours, but stands indisputably as one of the world’s better goal-scorers among women. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026 Expect delays, detours and shutdowns. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026 Closures and detours are being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Kane County, the city of Elgin, and local fire and police departments. Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026 But the extra minutes go more toward stuffing the plot with unnecessary detours (like a metaphor-laden hunting trip) or extending necessary ones (like a library research trip) to two or three times their intuitive length. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026 There must be a balance between competing points of view so that none are excluded during deliberations; a balance between short-term detours and long-term goals. David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 The data’s path from Point A to Point B, the person said, was like traveling from Washington to New York with detours by bus, ferry and airplane rather than just taking a quick ride on Amtrak. Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2026 The most up-to-date information on dates, locations and detours around the disruptions will be available on the Sacramento Regional Transit website. Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detours
Noun
  • By improving their algorithms and collecting more data, the team hopes to improve their measurements and possibly uncover deviations from existing theories.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
  • To anyone following the MAHA movement and the activities of the surgeon general nominee, Casey Means, these deviations will not be surprising.
    Christopher Duggan, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Mouth breathing bypasses that process entirely.
    Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Saudi Aramco manages a pipeline network that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz to deliver oil to the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But then the dream deviates, and takes me to the set of Gilligan’s Island, where Bob Denver, who originally played the part of Gilligan, has been replaced by a bearded intellectual who looks like Karl Marx combined with Cesar Romero, who played the Joker on the original Batman TV show.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Mar. 2026
  • The director's take deviates from Shelley's in its emphasis on forgiveness.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Together, the potential departures of two of Kansas City’s most experienced lawmakers — one on his own terms, one forced — could play a role in shaping the city’s future and diminish its ability to secure local priorities at the federal level.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
  • For example, while there are many reasons behind new immigration flows, an underlying driver of departures – from Africa and the Middle East in particular – is a lack of opportunity at home and the promise of better opportunities abroad for this burgeoning population.
    John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The process avoids the long turnaround times seen in conventional microbiological analysis.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
  • While the family largely avoids the spotlight, Sam’s daughter, Alice Walton, and two of his son Jim’s children, Tom and Steuart Walton, remain active and public-facing in Arkansas.
    Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • August 23 – September 22 Persistent focus turns small tasks into big wins.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
  • By the afternoon, most of North Texas turns quieter, with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.
    Michael Autovino, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Saudi Arabia’s crucial East-West pipeline that circumvents the Strait of Hormuz is pumping oil at its full capacity of 7 million barrels a day, according to a person familiar with the matter.
    Emma Ross-Thomas, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Privacy advocates argue the practice circumvents the Fourth Amendment and is contrary to a 2015 law that bars federal agencies from collecting bulk data on Americans.
    Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The gardening season, after all, swings into full gear for all the tender plants after the last frost.
    Seth Jacobson, The Providence Journal, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The West Side’s 16th District, which swings from Cicero, Lyons and Riverside up through Melrose Park, features a three-way race steeped in tangled histories.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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