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
Any disruption to the strait would force vessels on costly dayslong detours. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 16 May 2026 Looking back across six decades of Cannes triumphs, scandals, detours and reinventions, Schlöndorff sounds surprisingly unburdened by it all. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026 However, these seemingly gaudy detours end up retrofitted to Jude’s larger point about power structures in modern Europe as well, when the camera eventually pulls back to focus on specifics of the production. Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 16 May 2026 Somali pirates are profiting from the war in Iran as commercial ships, bypassing conflict routes through lengthy detours around Africa, sail into their strike zone. Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 May 2026 Oftentimes, the consequence waiting on deck was Woolery, a one-two punch that made detours around Grant a dangerous gamble. Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 15 May 2026 Project Director John Myler encouraged drivers to plan ahead and study the detours. John Shumway, CBS News, 14 May 2026 During this year’s Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, transportation officials closed local roads around the stadium, forcing drivers and pedestrians to take major detours, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026 For Giannulli, who has nearly 2 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 1 million on Instagram, the path to launch took five years and a few detours. James Manso, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detours
Noun
  • The standout look continues with an all-red sole unit, and the only deviations in color come from a white pebbled leather Swoosh and gold mesh window.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
  • Equally important, treat deviations from your targets with rigor.
    Thierry Brunel, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • The United Arab Emirates already plans to accelerate the construction of a new West-East pipeline that bypasses Hormuz.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 15 May 2026
  • Somehow, the YellowKey exploit bypasses this safeguard.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • However, the uptick in flights observed off the Cuban coast is new and deviates from where these aircraft have historically been deployed.
    Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
  • Piker’s endorsement of Mills deviates from other progressives who have thrown their support behind Platner.
    Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • JetBlue plans nearly 130 daily departures at FLL this summer, a 75% increase from last summer.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
  • Though the Republican staffers’ departures are unrelated, their simultaneous exits leave Garcia with one less bridge to the Hill at a moment when US-Africa policy can least afford the disruption.
    Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • Too often, political coverage avoids difficult questions entirely or allows politicians to speak in vague generalities without scrutiny.
    Letters to the Editor, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
  • This is fast to build, easy to demo and avoids the genuinely hard work of designing the conversation.
    Pete Hanlon, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Another turns downtown into Taste of Black Harrisburg, with food vendors, live mural painting, music, comedy, and chef demonstrations taking over the block.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 14 May 2026
  • The device turns virtually any liquid into a frosty drink within 20 to 30 minutes — with a couple of exceptions.
    Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 14 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
  • When Bz points north, Earth’s field resists it; when Bz swings south, the two fields connect, allowing plasma to stream in.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
  • Pitchers also know Kwan almost never swings at the first pitch.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 13 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detours. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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