tangent 1 of 2

noun

ˈtan-jənt How to pronounce tangent (audio)
Definition of tangentnext
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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tangent

2 of 2

adjective

as in tangential

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Dissimilar Words

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 tangent
Noun
In contrast to this, in regions dominated by shock waves, magnetic fields are orientated at tangents. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 July 2026 That's what happens when your star insults moviegoers or goes off on tangents about the characters's sexuality. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Adjective
This imaginary friend guides him through the tangent universe, encourages him to commit a series of crimes, and ends up triggering a chain of supernatural events. — Anatola Araba, ELLE, 1 Sep. 2022 An early tangent veers into naval warfare, with various forces fighting for crucial shipping lanes. — Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for tangent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangent
  1. aside
  2. tangential
  3. digression
  4. peripheral
  5. incidental
  6. irrelevant
Noun
  • The admission, an aside in a wide-ranging interview, raised eyebrows in the recovery community given the star’s very public embrace of sobriety after joining a 12-step program following his 2016 split from wife Angelina Jolie.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The pacing feels off throughout much of the film, with comic and contemplative asides gumming up the central caper.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of aside
Adjective
  • Culture may seem tangential to growth, but its impact is concrete.
    — M. Todd Abner, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The fingertips add another layer of intelligence through tactile sensors that detect normal force, tangential shear force, and the precise location of contact.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026
Definition of tangential
Noun
  • The question is how long the mini-digression can become without hijacking the main sentence (or story).
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But these digressions were great theatre, with Cohn as the ringmaster.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of digression
Adjective
  • In the first incident, Attwell will have had to keep his eyes down on the tackle, which is late and deliberate, and so loses his peripheral vision that might have picked up Munoz breaking into the area.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For Joan and Luis, these activities were not peripheral to their Jewish lives.
    — Laura Yares, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of peripheral
Adjective
  • That included nearly $12,000 for Marshall’s airfare and transportation, more than $6,000 for the senator’s per diem and $689 in incidental expenses.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Only 20% to 25% of eligible patients are currently getting screened annually, Nathan says, and the incidental population—nodules found through routine ER imaging—is growing at 10% a year on top of that.
    — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of incidental
Adjective
  • No one explicitly bans caffeine or alcohol, but after days of obsessing over my biomarkers, both begin to seem entirely irrelevant.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Exceptions whose labor powers one of the most profitable storytelling machines in the world, while their mental needs are treated as inconvenient or irrelevant.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of irrelevant

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Cite this Entry

“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tangent

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tangent

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