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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bypasses
to avoid by going around
we had to detour the construction zone in order to get to the stadium
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detours
Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The Franklin Bridge, which had been closed since May 2025 for construction, reopened earlier this week to accommodate the detours, Robinson said.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Travelers previously descended into the canyon along steep switchback roads prone to rockfalls or took long detours around the gorge, routes that added more than an hour to travel time.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
Officials didn’t indicate what detours will be available for truck traffic.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Dallas police are investigating a suspicious package in downtown Tuesday, prompting road closures, heavy traffic delays and detours in the area.
—Cbs Texas Staff, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Houston drivers should expect closures and detours on Interstate 10 near White Oak Bayou this week as crews work on a $410 million project to raise the highway.
—Octavia Johnson, Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2026
Bono shared a note with fans, once again assuring them that a new album is still in the works, and that these EPs are side detours on the way to a wholly separate full-length.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
During the first weekend, detours will include routes via Junipero Serra Boulevard and Brotherhood Way, the agency said.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
The detours through the fast-food drive-thrus aggravated my dietitian to no end.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The Franklin Bridge, which had been closed since May 2025 for construction, reopened earlier this week to accommodate the detours, Robinson said.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Travelers previously descended into the canyon along steep switchback roads prone to rockfalls or took long detours around the gorge, routes that added more than an hour to travel time.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
Officials didn’t indicate what detours will be available for truck traffic.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Dallas police are investigating a suspicious package in downtown Tuesday, prompting road closures, heavy traffic delays and detours in the area.
—Cbs Texas Staff, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Houston drivers should expect closures and detours on Interstate 10 near White Oak Bayou this week as crews work on a $410 million project to raise the highway.
—Octavia Johnson, Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2026
Bono shared a note with fans, once again assuring them that a new album is still in the works, and that these EPs are side detours on the way to a wholly separate full-length.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
During the first weekend, detours will include routes via Junipero Serra Boulevard and Brotherhood Way, the agency said.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detours
Noun
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But there are other deviations as well.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
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The system uses sensor feedback to adjust for small deviations over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House, future funding for immigration enforcement could be approved along party lines through reconciliation, which bypasses the Senate filibuster.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The mother allegedly also asked for hospice services and total parenteral nutrition, which is delivered intravenously and bypasses the digestive system.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 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
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Their colleagues were prepared to move forward with the motions to expel them if their departures were not imminent.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Still, the two members left the timeline of their departures ambiguous, and the lawmakers who were pushing to oust them might still take action today.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rather than intervene on the distressed woman’s behalf, everyone else avoids eye contact, keeping their faces glued to their phones — including our ashamed hero, who’s about to get a call that will put him face to face with the possibility of fatherhood himself.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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OpenAI’s paper conspicuously avoids specifying a corporate tax rate, a diplomatic omission that suggests the company knows where the political land mines are buried.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fresh off the global success of KPop Demon Hunters, the film’s vocal stars are bringing their fandom full circle with a new collaboration that turns a familiar fast-food run into an immersive experience.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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October 23 – November 21 Steady focus turns effort into visible progress.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Privacy advocates argue the practice circumvents the Fourth Amendment and is contrary to a 2015 law that bars federal agencies from collecting bulk data on Americans.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The man, wearing a yellow shirt and black shorts, walks up to the woman and immediately swings the hammer at her head.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
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The man, wearing a yellow shirt and black shorts, walks up to the woman and immediately swings the hammer at her head.—
Gisela Salomon,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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