digress

as in to wander
to speak or write about something that is different from the main subject being discussed He digressed so often that it was hard to follow what he was saying. If I can digress for a moment, I'd like to briefly mention her earlier films.

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb digress contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of digress are depart, deviate, diverge, swerve, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

Where would depart be a reasonable alternative to digress?

The words depart and digress can be used in similar contexts, but depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

When can deviate be used instead of digress?

While the synonyms deviate and digress are close in meaning, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

How are the words diverge and depart related as synonyms of digress?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

When might swerve be a better fit than digress?

In some situations, the words swerve and digress are roughly equivalent. However, swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

When is veer a more appropriate choice than digress?

Although the words veer and digress have much in common, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

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 digress Here must digress to a famous (or infamous) decided by the U.S. Supreme Court involving pornography, being Redrup v. New York, 386 U.S. 767 (1967). Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025 The islanders can no more control whether the whales come or go than Ella can control her cancer or Mayor Annie can corral a group of quibbling, digressing neighbors into decisive action. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025 Short chapters often begin in the present and then digress into episodes from the narrator’s mostly stable, untroubled past. Lauren Christensen, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025 Mahler handled this melodrama with remarkable composure; apparently, the two men digressed into a discussion of the brokenness of modern art. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 The operative word is slightly; don’t digress into the weeds. Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for digress
Verb
  • While there’s not a lot to see and do, every bit of it is worth experiencing, so pick a pretty day and wander over to Waverly for a few hours of chatting with friendly folks, digging into good food, and scouring shelves for cool finds.
    Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Whether sailing across Lake Zurich or wandering the Kunsthaus, the city reveals itself seductively.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Uncut Gems star's ensemble deviates from his signature style, which typically includes oversize T-shirts, hoodies and shorts, as well as stylish sneakers.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • The manager did not believe a lineup that had slugged the most home runs in the National League needed to deviate from its identity to finally produce runs with a modicum of consistency.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Similarly, one TikTok filmed in a Walmart location shows stray unaltered tags with prices conflicting with higher on-rack pricing signs.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
  • In rebooting Troma Entertainment’s cult favorite icon, the filmmaker didn’t want to stray too far from the source material — at least in terms of overall tone.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Digress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/digress. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on digress

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