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
The former pair tempers the latter’s lush sonic detours, making it so the new album lives and dies by the pen. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 May 2026 The months of planning, the detours across the Mediterranean, and the final rush to install will by then have disappeared into the background. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026 However, if a few detours take you off course, don’t be discouraged. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026 Troy was the starting point of Odysseus’s calamitous 10-year westward voyage, with many detours and misadventures, to his kingdom of Ithaca. Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026 Even with its unnecessary detours, Singing reaches this wild reverie in the end—a voice reclaimed to report, softly, from the fathomless depths of the human experience. Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detours
Noun
  • The only deviations from the hue can be found on the steel screws on the bezel, the titanium caseback and crown chip, and the white accents on the dial.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 May 2026
  • The scale and frequency of the deviations align more naturally with magnetic restructuring in the solar wind than with extreme plasma density shifts.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • Impulsive action bypasses deliberation, ignores consequences and risks entangling our nation in conflicts without an exit strategy.
    Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
  • Republican leaders resorted to using the special reconciliation process, which bypasses the threat of Democrats blocking the bill in the Senate, to fund those agencies while the Senate also passed a bipartisan bill to fund the rest of DHS.
    by Emily Brooks, The Hill, 23 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
  • Many guests are juggling packed itineraries—pyramid visits, museum stops, Nile cruise transfers—and the staff are well practiced at coordinating drivers, guides, and early departures.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
  • The nomination signals Trump is backing away from promises to eliminate FEMA, as Hamilton joins a beleaguered agency depleted by staff departures and a 75-day DHS shutdown.
    Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • Drivers may also experience smoother brake operation because the system avoids the harsh pedal pulsing commonly associated with older anti-lock braking systems.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
  • Impressively, 94% of the property’s waste avoids landfill— miraculous for a hotel of this size—with it either being recycled, donated, or made use of in the hotel grounds.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • With the highest peaks running in a chain along the east side of the island, Sardinia resolutely turns its back to the mainland.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
  • The retailer’s latest edit turns the spotlight on Leset, the beloved label known for its effortlessly cool wardrobe staples.
    Irina Grechko, Vogue, 7 May 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
  • Anything less, though, swings the door open for Spurs to clinch survival at Stamford Bridge.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 12 May 2026
  • When Kenobi surrenders and Vader swings his blade through Kenobi’s chest, Kenobi disappears.
    Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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