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
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as in tangential
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tangent
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
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
During the meal, they get distracted by Jeopardy! questions on the TV and follow tangents on topics such as sashimi vending machines in Japan and ASMR-style videos of dirty rugs getting cleaned.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Noun
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
Adjective
No Father Mackie Puzzle Piece Osman’s book goes on a bit of a tangent with another character — Father Mackie (Joseph Marcell in the film).
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
During the meal, they get distracted by Jeopardy! questions on the TV and follow tangents on topics such as sashimi vending machines in Japan and ASMR-style videos of dirty rugs getting cleaned.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangent
Noun
-
Those records are now asides and ephemera, not events.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert The Late Show filmed its news segment before the news of Kirk’s death, explained Stephen Colbert, who then expressed his condolences to the Kirk family in an aside to the monologue.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Los Angeles experience consists mostly of such tangential connections and brief grazes of luxury.—
Joe Joyce,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Another tangential line worth pursuing: Rodin made ample use of photography proper in his figural renderings.—
Jan Tumlir,
Artforum,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There's no explicit in-game reward for almost all of these random digressions, and your fellow cut-scene hikers will frequently explicitly warn you that there's no point in climbing some structure or another.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
23 Sep. 2025
-
His essays — an array of digressions on meme culture, monetary theory and markets — remain widely read in crypto circles.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Those dots can defocus peripheral light, which may help slow the progression of myopia in children.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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Basque cinema is punching above its weight at San Sebastián, with 75% of Spanish competition titles fully or partially Basque, underscoring how regional industries, once seen as peripheral, are increasingly shaping Spain’s national film landscape.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The show’s preoccupation with Lee’s race isn’t incidental.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
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American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases.—
Meghan Hunter,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
None of this means AI is irrelevant.—
Jennifer Moss,
Fortune,
24 Sep. 2025
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Unfurling through the book is a radical approach that holds gender irrelevant, sensuality and even sexuality paramount, and music essential.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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