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
Those detours foreshadowed Paris, where the styling again backs away from surface-level pink and redistributes it to the interior. Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 8 Nov. 2025 Drivers accustomed to taking the freeway to zip north and south through the Treasure Valley will have to follow detours to Star and Linder roads. Rose Evans november 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2025 Big visions meet surprising detours when Mercury moves into Sagittarius. Usa Today, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025 Visitors can hop aboard a historic railway to jazz concerts in the woods, go underground at Crystal Cave, glamp in the wilderness, or even add on quick detours to livelier tourist destinations like Mammoth Lakes or Lake Tahoe. AFAR Media, 28 Oct. 2025 In one of the podcast’s sharper detours, the discussion turns to Graham Platner, the Senate candidate in Maine whose campaign has been rattled by old Reddit posts and an apparent Nazi tattoo. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 Additional safety precautions for residents due to more people driving through Old Louisville because of detours was also brought up during the meeting. Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025 The creative journey, like most life journeys, has its obstacles, detours, side trips, and hazards. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025 Port congestion from everyone using the same detours creates further delays that can wipe out an entire season’s sales. Vitalii Savryha, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 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
  • Entrepreneurs are offering travel packages for the reverse journey, which bypasses the dangerous Darién Gap by sea.
    Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • This approach bypasses the need for advanced 3D sensors, which struggle to operate reliably in the high-radiation and smooth, reflective metal environment of a reactor’s interior.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
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
  • If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
  • And in the fall, when the air turns crisp and the fields turn orange, this unassuming little town reminds visitors that sometimes, the most unique places grow from the simplest seeds (pun intended).
    Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
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 12 Jan. 2026.

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