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
Right now, Frontierland feels less like the Wild, Wild West to many and more like a construction zone — with walls, detours and shifting pathways, the blogs reported. Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 As a result of the highway closure, motorists should expect detours and more traffic. Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 For the upcoming closure of the northbound lanes, Caltrans is recommending two different detours around the closure. Tim Fang, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026 The Corporate Run has to close or reroute several streets, so expect delays and detours for a few hours. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026 The city of Hartford is not involved with the project itself but did consult with Eversource on its plans for lane closures and detours. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026 Keep an open mind, because unexpected detours are in store! Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 The detours are expected to create heavier traffic on streets in the area of 17th, 9th, 10th, 5th and 4th streets, as well as freeways that enter San Francisco. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026 Playing it ‘safe’ isn’t safe anymore, experts say Being open to new, unexpected detours on your career journey can be a smart strategy, career experts say. Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detours
Noun
  • Compared to humans, Douglas captures photos from the exact same coordinates every day, allowing AI software to track progress and spot any deviations.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The platform’s new AI agent, René, allows dispatchers and fleet managers to investigate operational inefficiencies through simple conversational queries, identifying the root causes of issues like excessive overtime or route deviations.
    Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Levine Cava said the Kelly Tractor project destroys too many wetlands and bypasses county rules on approving development proposed outside Miami-Dade’s Urban Development Boundary.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Bagenstos, now a law and public policy professor at the University of Michigan, sees a different threat as the White House bypasses Congress on funding in all sorts of ways.
    Sam Gringlas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Piker’s endorsement of Mills deviates from other progressives who have thrown their support behind Platner.
    Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • House Democratic Leader Robert Reives responded to their departures in a statement Monday.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Yang was critical of TKO’s handling of the Las Vegas event, which took place last week at Allegiant Stadium for the second straight year and needled the company over the recent wave of WWE departures.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • MorphoColor almost entirely avoids reducing the efficiency of solar panels by using a highly selective design that lets most sunlight pass through.
    Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Under California’s special election rules, a candidate who wins more than 50% of the vote avoids a runoff, allowing the seat to be filled far more quickly.
    Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Aeration can be done with a core aerator that punches shallow holes in the surface, or with a shovel or a rototiller that turns the soil more deeply.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The three eventually work out their differences but not before Edgar turns Miles’s proto-smart-home devices against him, cancels his credit cards, and forges a criminal record for him.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This funneling of men outside of the traditional health system circumvents the important step of appropriate medical workups.
    Denise Asafu-Adjei, STAT, 13 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • The pendulum always swings in Minnesota.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The public discussion still swings between utopian promise and apocalyptic dread.
    Barry R. Davis, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

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