as in indirect
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as in turning
to change one's course or direction
sailors forced to deviate from their course in order to avoid the storm
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Recent Examples of deviating
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 5 Mar. 2026
Dim Sum Night at Arcadia PC Arcadia is deviating from its usual menu to offer a special night of Dim Sum.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 17 Feb. 2026
Lynyrd Skynyrd, for example, has made big business out of their summer amphitheater tours over the years, while Foreigner is deviating from their usual arena-forward approach this spring to travel with a symphony orchestra.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
The show may change the happily ever afters of both leading ladies in Season 5 and Season 6, deviating from the Bridgerton books.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
Not deviating from those standards is equally important.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The resolution would authorize the state to redraw its congressional district maps in the middle of the 10-year cycle, deviating from the current practice of redistricting only after the federal census every 10 years.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Salomon has unveiled its latest super shoe, and in doing so, is deviating from the usual script on energy return.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
But Beijing and other critics see Japan as deviating from its postwar peace pledge, pointing to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement soon after taking office that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could be grounds for a Japanese military response.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
On the flip side, deviating from perfection—not landing the lead in a school play or getting hormonal acne—registers as a personal humiliation rather than an inevitable part of growing up and being human.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 5 Mar. 2026
Dim Sum Night at Arcadia PC Arcadia is deviating from its usual menu to offer a special night of Dim Sum.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 17 Feb. 2026
Lynyrd Skynyrd, for example, has made big business out of their summer amphitheater tours over the years, while Foreigner is deviating from their usual arena-forward approach this spring to travel with a symphony orchestra.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
The show may change the happily ever afters of both leading ladies in Season 5 and Season 6, deviating from the Bridgerton books.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
Not deviating from those standards is equally important.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The resolution would authorize the state to redraw its congressional district maps in the middle of the 10-year cycle, deviating from the current practice of redistricting only after the federal census every 10 years.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Salomon has unveiled its latest super shoe, and in doing so, is deviating from the usual script on energy return.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
But Beijing and other critics see Japan as deviating from its postwar peace pledge, pointing to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement soon after taking office that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could be grounds for a Japanese military response.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviating
Adjective
-
Scientists had previously seen indirect signs that sunlight can spin small asteroids faster and fling material into space, but the UMD team’s models now provide the first direct visual proof.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
And through direct conversations or indirect, through him one-to-one or through his cabinet, messages-- definitely can be delivered.—
Major Garrett,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s water everywhere, approach angles that punish the wrong side of the fairway, and a closing stretch with a long history of turning good rounds into cautionary tales.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Video later showed Good turning her wheel away from the agent who shot her.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
All of these little circuitous bits of water are the canals, and those are the beavers’ highway systems.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
-
And even that route was circuitous.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Part of Poole’s Wizards legacy is that his contract, in a slightly roundabout way, helped the Wizards bring Young aboard.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The nightly viewership of the somewhat antiquated TV format can no longer justify the expense — at least, that’s the roundabout reason CBS gave for canceling The Late Show.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s a strong hook, but Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke is just getting started with an erotic political tragicomedy that, like a Roomba, is forever veering off in unexpected directions.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The curved silhouette subtly frames the décolletage without veering into overt glamour, striking a balance between softness and sophistication.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The firms had argued the orders unconstitutionally punished them for diverging with the administration and for upholding their clients' right to legal counsel.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Their genetics, as this new discovery shows, have been quietly diverging even when their bodies haven’t.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deviating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviating. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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