detours 1 of 2

noun

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

detours

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of detour
1
as in bypasses
to avoid by going around we had to detour the construction zone in order to get to the stadium

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Since then, drivers have been forced to take detours to avoid the portion of Markham between Barton and Thayer streets. — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 16 July 2026 But others could involve the light bouncing off walls, curving through the space or tracing wildly improbable detours before reaching its destination. — Aldo Romero, The Conversation, 15 July 2026 Having a strong, forward thrust of the Hamm search allowed the co-writers room for Wain’s trademark absurdist detours. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 13 July 2026 For the most part, PennDOT said detours take about 30 minutes. — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 13 July 2026 The panelists offer a first look at upcoming museum content and film programming, an exploration of narrative art, and the unexpected detours that have inspired George Lucas and generations of artists. — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026 His career has taken a few detours, developing in Bayern Munich’s academy before being sold to Hoffenheim ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 9 July 2026 For visitors, that means some temporary detours and construction fencing now, but a more immersive experience in the years ahead. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 6 July 2026 This creates a massive traffic jam for lithium ions, which are forced to travel long, winding detours around the edges of the plates just to cross the electrode. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 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
  1. deviations
  2. bypasses
  3. deviates
  4. departures
  5. avoids
  6. turns
  7. circumvents
  8. swings
Noun
  • There are also significant deviations from US civilian law, said law professor Joshua Kastenberg on The Conversation.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
  • In the book, the Senator is a man — Paul Thurman — but Yost previously confirmed that the show makes significant deviations from the source material.
    — Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of deviations
Verb
  • Anthropic has reported banning accounts and tightening filters after detecting attempts to use Claude for phishing emails, malicious code and safeguard bypasses.
    — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Abu Dhabi has sent tankers through the strait with their transponders turned off to evade Iranian surveillance, and used a pipeline to Fujairah that bypasses the chokepoint.
    — Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of bypasses
Verb
  • According to the distillery, the whiskey is made using the same distillation and barrel-entry proof as the core bourbon, but then deviates from there.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 July 2026
  • The Washington Post spoke to seven current and former National Park Service staffers who said the policy deviates from the agency’s long-standing approach to release as much information as possible.
    — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of deviates
Noun
  • But there’s little doubt the Hornets are building around the duo with the departures of Ball to Minnesota and Miles Bridges headed to Phoenix in another trade that has yet to become official.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2026
  • Despite high-profile billionaire departures and complaints about costs, California is pulling in more than $335 billion in venture capital — about ten times New York — fueled by an AI boom.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of departures
Verb
  • This configuration avoids the internal current disruptions that can challenge tokamak designs, offering a distinct pathway to stable, long-term power plant operations.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026
  • Hiding workforce-scale spend in IT line items avoids the conversation; treating it as labor distorts it.
    — Priya Sawant, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of avoids
Verb
  • Using the Corsairs to strike a fortified naval port directly without risking human operators turns that tactic on its head.
    — David Szondy July 13, New Atlas, 14 July 2026
  • The additional wattage turns the usual 2-D projection into a 3-D production.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 14 July 2026
Definition of turns
Verb
  • Additionally, because the $50 co-payment circumvents Part D, the amount doesn’t count toward a beneficiary’s annual deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The exhibit mostly circumvents contextualizing the architectural details of the office, and rather aims to explicate the man who worked within it.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026
Definition of circumvents
Verb
  • Lizzo observed that this pressure on women is part of a cultural shift — one that swings toward cruelty.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • Collin Morikawa, on the other hand, swings the driver 7 mph slower but loses only 11 yards of distance.
    — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of swings

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detours
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Cite this Entry

“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of detours for Spanish Speakers

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