: a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially
: a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route
detoured; detouring; detours
: to proceed by a detour
detour around road construction
1
: to send by a circuitous route
detour traffic around an accident
2
: to avoid by going around : bypass
detour an accident site
Synonyms
Examples of detour in a Sentence
Noun
After a number of unexpected detours, we finally arrived at our destination.
The little restaurant is worth a detour.
We had to make a detour around the heaviest traffic.
We took a detour from the main streets.
The road is closed ahead, so traffic will have to follow the detour.
Verb
We detoured around the heaviest traffic.
A police officer was detouring traffic around the scene of the accident.
Traffic will be detoured to 72nd Street.
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
But if his life has taken a wild detour from that point, his future business success isn’t the only reason the evening sticks out in his mind.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2025
For traffic heading to the airport, drivers can detour on eastbound Loop 202 to northbound Loop 101, then take westbound Loop 202 to reach Sky Harbor Airport using the southbound 44th Street airport entrance.
—Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for detour 
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Noun
Luckily, his Aunt May (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) happens to be heading to work and offers to make a detour to drop him off for his first day of high school.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
But if his life has taken a wild detour from that point, his future business success isn’t the only reason the evening sticks out in his mind.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
Verb
Southbound traffic on Biscayne will be detoured at Northeast First Street and may continue south at Southeast Second Avenue.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2025
For traffic heading to the airport, drivers can detour on eastbound Loop 202 to northbound Loop 101, then take westbound Loop 202 to reach Sky Harbor Airport using the southbound 44th Street airport entrance.
—Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for detour
Dictionary Entries Near detour
Cite this Entry
“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detour. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detour
1 of 2 noun
de·tour
ˈdē-ˌtu̇(ə)r 
also di-ˈtu̇(ə)r
: a departure from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially
: a roundabout way temporarily replacing a regular route
detour
2 of 2 verb
: to send or proceed by a detour
detour traffic around an accident
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