DEVIATING Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

deviating 1 of 2

adjective

as in indirect

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deviating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of deviate

as in turning

to change one's course or direction sailors forced to deviate from their course in order to avoid the storm

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 deviating

Verb

The artisans stay true to the original colors and designs of the park — never deviating in 70 years. — Carole Horst, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 In 2024, the government decided against deviating from the 2021 census questions in the interests of maintaining social cohesion. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 Practicing deviating from our defaults, no matter how mundane, prepares us to deviate again, even in higher stakes contexts. — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 The highly disguised initial view of the model undergoing final testing showed the luxury marque deviating away from its traditional upright boxy off-road SUVs into a new territory. — New Atlas, 27 July 2026 Nyathi says she was inspired to write the book after seeing how African men were deviating from traditional open polygamy, to having secret second families, and the negative effects this was having on the women. — Kate Bartlett, NPR, 24 July 2026 And with no hikes priced in by markets, deviating from this strategy seems unlikely. — Sean Conlon,chloe Taylor,justina Lee,tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 22 July 2026 Subaru redesigns its midsize SUV without deviating from winning formula. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 15 July 2026 Her full-length works often feature people, especially women, holding their ground and deviating from societal expectations, which creates dissonance between their internal and external worlds. — Sky Davis, Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviating

Adjective

The sanctions aim to isolate the Islamic Republic from its remaining economic partners, including China, which buys more than 80% of Iranian oil shipments, usually through indirect channels.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The financial-services industry has always been an indirect and noisy prediction market for relatively narrow topics.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of indirect

Verb

No analytics can project how Johnson’s emphasis on turning the page will affect the team’s chances in 2026.

— Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
As such, the candidates who have practical ideas for turning the economy around and exhibit empathy for Americans worried about how to pay their bills could receive the bulk of the union vote.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of turning

Adjective

BepiColombo launched in October 2018 and took a long, looping and highly circuitous route toward Mercury our solar system's innermost planet.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Stephen Hunt, chief development officer for VRT, told the council that virtually every rider complaint from long waits at the Senior Center to circuitous routes traced back to a lack of funding rather than mismanagement.

— Noah Daly August 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of circuitous

Verb

When Fyodor drags himself on the floor, begging for forgiveness or a bit more money to play roulette, the gesture straddles the line between humor and intense discomfort — veering into cringe comedy.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
About an hour into the descent, the hikers called Siskiyou County dispatchers for directions before veering off-route into Mud Creek Canyon.

— Darrell Smith, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of veering

Adjective

BepiColombo already has traveled more than 6 billion miles on its roundabout route, according to Martinez.

— Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The county’s first roundabout, at the intersection of Tienken, Runyon and Washington roads on the Rochester/Rochester Hills border, was very controversial, Bryson recalled.

— Susan Bromley, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of roundabout

Verb

PennDOT will be implementing a diverging diamond interchange near Robinson Town Centre that doesn't use the existing bridge over the Parkway West.

— John Shumway, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
There is a constant sense of movement, of visions and voices converging, diverging, allowing gaps and silences, but also a sense of subterranean connectedness.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of diverging

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“Deviating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviating. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of deviating

adjective

verb

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