as in aside
a departure from the subject under consideration
in the middle of her description of her dog's symptoms, she went off on a tangent about its cute behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in tangential
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tangent
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The conversation is lively, with people often chatting over each other and going on tangents.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
Austin’s former president then went on a tangent talking about Reese’s eggs, Cap’n Crunch and berries.
—Frank Pallotta, CNN, 17 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Noun
But rather than let meta references guide the plot, the half-hour sitcom takes off on wild tangents that are easy to get lost in, even when that’s not the main intention.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The conversation is lively, with people often chatting over each other and going on tangents.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
An early tangent veers into naval warfare, with various forces fighting for crucial shipping lanes.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
Austin’s former president then went on a tangent talking about Reese’s eggs, Cap’n Crunch and berries.
—Frank Pallotta, CNN, 17 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangent
Noun
-
Aside from his messages of unity and urging people watching at home to never second-guess themselves, Bad Bunny also shared other asides in Spanish throughout the halftime show.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s asides generate more media attention than his defense of his economic record.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of the protagonists have tangential connections to each other, while some are family.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
-
No matter the times or intervals, though, Telemundo will fill days with a variety of shows that will range from serious fútbol analysis to culture and tangential topics.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are no needless digressions, and their architecture is as robust and tightly engineered as their characters are fully fleshed.—
Emma Madden,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Every digression here feels like a destination.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Furthermore, since the system is compatible with peripheral tools like keyboards and mice, users can interact with the system in a familiar way.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The offseason saw the Kings improve depth –– Joel Armia and Corey Perry have been valuable peripheral contributors while Anton Forsberg has proven a more capable backup goalie than David Rittich –– but weaken their core.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The 36-year-old politician’s success with the Latinx voting bloc was more than incidental, a senior advisor to the Talarico campaign, Chuck Rocha, told the Wall Street Journal.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Their sexualization is not incidental to the fantasy.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet some in Iran say the supreme leader as irrelevant.—
Ramin Mostaghim,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The invention of electricity made menial jobs like the lamplighter, the elevator operator, and the knocker-up, the human equivalent to the modern alarm clock, irrelevant.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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