1
as in to deviate
to change one's course or direction the deer abruptly diverged from its intended path the moment it spied the waiting lynx

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to separate
to go or move in different directions from a central point at that point the road and the railroad tracks diverge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb diverge contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of diverge are depart, deviate, digress, swerve, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," 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 is depart a more appropriate choice than diverge?

The words depart and diverge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

In what contexts can deviate take the place of diverge?

Although the words deviate and diverge have much in common, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

When can digress be used instead of diverge?

In some situations, the words digress and diverge are roughly equivalent. However, digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

Where would swerve be a reasonable alternative to diverge?

The words swerve and diverge can be used in similar contexts, but swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

When could veer be used to replace diverge?

The synonyms veer and diverge are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 diverge Elena holds her headstrong, intellectually gifted friend Lila in reverent admiration, but the girls’ paths diverge when Lila, who cannot afford to continue her education, marries an abusive man, while Elena goes to university and becomes a writer. Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025 Where this world diverges from those other games is in the malleability of the code, which will evolve like life itself as the collective Throng grows and interacts with humans like Cam. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 Still, dogs and wolves split from each other some fifteen thousand years ago, and their genes have diverged over that time. D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 The skills required to thrive here diverge sharply from those honed in traditional corporate environments. Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for diverge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diverge
Verb
  • Related Articles While not completely deviating from his wartime attire, Zelensky partially adhered to the Vatican’s dress code for the somber occasion.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2025
  • With all your company’s data and operations in a unified platform, your team can monitor patterns and identify incidents that deviate from the norm.
    Bek Abdullayev, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Start setting up your financial system by separating your personal and business finances.
    Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Rojas had been separated from his wife for about a year.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • It is filled with very cautious language (surely taken right from police press releases), which might be intentional to not feed into what is now turning into intense scrutiny over every suspicious death in New England.
    Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • What was supposed to be a revenge tour has turned into a stumble out of the gate.
    Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The city is divided along sectarian lines: The south is home mostly to Sunni Muslims, while the northern neighborhoods are mostly Alawite.
    Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Passengers are divided on the appropriateness of removing shoes during flights, citing comfort versus hygiene and safety.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As clouds of thick smoke and dust began to part, the horror set in.
    Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The clouds parted, and Fuji-san emerged to show off its snowcapped peak before the clouds once again obscured it from view, leaving us instead to admire Suruga Bay below.
    Kristen E. Pope, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As cartels have grown more adept at using social media, their influence in Mexican culture has spread.
    Antón Barba-Kay, The Atlantic, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can't spread or cross the containment line.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The only question is how many hardcore Subaru fans are willing to fork over ¥8.6 million or around $60,000.
    Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Meta reportedly tried to fork over $1 billion to settle In a call to the FTC’s chair Andrew Ferguson, Zuckerberg tried to convince the agency to settle its antitrust case for $450 million — and later $1 billion, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
    Harri Weber, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • April 2025 The Hermit: April invites you to retreat inward, Gemini.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 May 2025
  • When the volume of disruption outpaces clarity, managers retreat into operational survival mode and teams follow.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Diverge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diverge. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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