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
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Recent Examples of tangent
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
At this point, the joke veers into tangents.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 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
The Story Behind Gomez’s AirDrop Name In one of the episode’s more amusing tangents, Gomez shared the story behind her iPhone’s AirDrop name.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
At this point, the joke veers into tangents.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 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
-
To even the score, Weir’s novel describes ammonia-breathing Rocky as smelling like cat pee, an aside the script politely omits.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Their conversation would often go off the rails thanks to humous asides and stories.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
10 Mar. 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
-
One of Scarpetta’s digressions in particular is damaging to the show’s fortunes.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The core of this book, stripping away the weird digressions, is about how society makes monsters.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Inner circle role Within that system, prosecutors portray Maduro not as a peripheral figure but as a central architect.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The guardians of knowledge have customarily deemed the history and experience of Asian Americans to be inessential or peripheral to all levels of American education.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
To the extent permitted by applicable law, all judgments or awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket damages (excluding attorneys’ fees) associated with participation in this Promotion and shall not include any indirect, punitive, incidental and/or consequential damages.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In reality, instruction in table manners was incidental to the main lesson, which was how to exchange ideas, frame a polite argument and, if necessary, pretend to be interested in what others had done that day.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
So, all of the other amazing things that'll happen on the way are irrelevant, if that doesn't go well.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
His running mate is irrelevant to matching funds.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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