detours 1 of 2

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
Intermittent road shutdowns or detours may pop up. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026 Road construction along Rochester Road between 13 Mile and 14 Mile roads is creating ongoing challenges for local businesses, as lane closures and detours limit customer access. Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 16 June 2026 Electronic message signs and construction signage will be in place in advance to alert drivers to construction and any ramp closures and detours, officials said. Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 The digressions, detours, and false starts slowly become the real subject of the book. Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026 In New Orleans, travelers take detours to devour beignets, jambalaya, etouffee, muffaletta, and gumbo. Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2026 Road closures The City of Santa Clara announced a multi-phase plan to close the roads and establish detours surrounding the stadium. Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 12 June 2026 There are some enjoyable detours on these twin paths to romantic elation and ejection. Chris Willman, Variety, 12 June 2026 The story makes stops in Milan, Barcelona and Tehran, and goes on detours through a Jewish powerhouse club in pre-war Vienna, and soccer’s place in the American culture wars. Leander Schaerlaeckens june 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Verb
The trail undulates a bit over rocky rises and occasionally detours into the woods, but experienced hikers shouldn't have any problems. Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detours
Noun
  • Pilot deviations accounted for 62% of incursions from 2021 through 2025.
    Amalia Roy, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026
  • When the complex was being constructed, there were deviations from the building’s original design, contributing to structural weaknesses, the report said.
    Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Virginia also could make another run at a redistricting amendment that bypasses a bipartisan commission.
    David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026
  • Clinics lean on the absorption argument, that the IV route bypasses the gut, to justify both the format and the price.
    Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Extra padding on the tongue and collar blow up the proportions of the silhouette, while a suede, mesh and leather upper deviates from the typical leather build.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
  • That precedent deviates from the Fed major mandates and today is actually dangerous.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
Noun
  • But the departures are often bigger PR headaches than operational ones.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 June 2026
  • Whatever the reasons, the departures signal the start of Broadway’s summer dog days, when the crowded spring line-ups thin out in the wake of Tony Award disappointments, warm-weather competition for tourist bucks and the inevitable making-way for fresh new fall shows just around the corner.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • The goal is to deliver a form-fit-function replacement that avoids expensive system-level changes, which can require extensive certification and shipyard time across fleets.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026
  • The jazz portion of the mural reflects the district’s most recognizable legacy but avoids relying solely on the figures most commonly associated with Kansas City music history.
    J.M. Banks June 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Erratic sounds escape her—her body turns inside out, fingers extending and touching nothing.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • Hallowed Halls turns your home into a stately Victorian manor, complete with spooky portraits, eerie black-and-gold decor, and even a few séance essentials.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Sea Change reads as an intimate character study, one that circumvents familiar narratives of Asian intergenerational trauma in favor of a more complicated reckoning.
    Tessa Yang, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
  • RevMed’s daraxonrasib cleverly circumvents this problem by acting as a molecular stickum.
    Bloomberg, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Smarter, Not Larger The conversation around AI often swings between extremes.
    Scott Byrne, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
  • Toward the beginning of the episode, the group sits down to eat at a hole-in-the-wall barbecue spot and the camera swings around the table in a sweeping circular motion, capturing everyone laughing, bonding and sharing a meal.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026

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“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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