depart

verb

di-ˈpärt How to pronounce depart (audio)
Definition of departnext
1
as in to exit
to leave a place often for another I'll sing one more song before I depart

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to die
to stop living a special tribute for those members of the motion picture academy who have departed over the past year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb depart contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of depart are deviate, digress, diverge, swerve, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

Where would deviate be a reasonable alternative to depart?

The synonyms deviate and depart are sometimes interchangeable, but deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

When could digress be used to replace depart?

While the synonyms digress and depart are close in meaning, digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

How do diverge and depart relate to one another?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

When is it sensible to use swerve instead of depart?

The meanings of swerve and depart largely overlap; however, swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

When can veer be used instead of depart?

The words veer and depart are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

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 depart The Cygnus spacecraft will depart the station and head for a destructive reentry over the remote Pacific Ocean to conclude the mission. —Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025 Kimmel departed the Hollywood theater where his show is taped about three hours after ABC’s decision. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025 Only two players from that group departed in third-pair defenseman Nate Schmidt and backup goaltender Vitek Vanecek, both of whom signed with the Utah Mammoth. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025 Passengers evaluated either a departing or arriving airport from their round-trip experience. —Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for depart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart
  1. exit
  2. die
  3. move
  4. perish
  5. go
  6. fall
  7. get
  8. disappear
Verb
  • But even more disappointing than Prescott's performance was the fact that star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb exited in the first quarter after suffering an apparent ankle injury.
    — Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Still, the prospect of a divisive congressional race is ginning up concern that Republicans will exit the primary wounded, with little time to recover before the general election.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
Definition of exit
Verb
  • Josh Jung’s two-out swinging bunt died on the infield near the third-base line and plated Joc Pederson, who had opened the frame with a ground-rule double and advanced to third on Adolis Garcia’s groundout.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Unlike most mass shooters who expect to die during their attacks, an expert tells Fox News Digital that Robinson devised escape routes and left behind a detailed digital trail.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Definition of die
Verb
  • Sacramento State, which was denied in a bid to move up to FBS over the summer, came back from an early deficit to beat Mercyhurst, with Damian Henderson II running for 98 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.
    — Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Trump has a long history of moving from one tactic to another, like an ape branching between trees.
    — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Definition of move
Verb
  • Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, 41; Victor Lemus, 40; and William Osborn, 58, all perished as a result of the morning blast and represented a collective 74 years of service.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The boys didn't always survive their adventures, with one perishing from a snake bite and another drowning in a Bolivian flood.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of perish
Verb
  • Lucky went 1,500 days in the shelter without being adopted, then everything changed.
    — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Before all that happened, though, there was the eight-course dinner, which went totally fine as predicted.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of go
Verb
  • Short sellers look to benefit from a company's falling share price by borrowing its stock to sell on the open market, then later buying it back at a lower price.
    — , CNBC, 22 Sep. 2025
  • One tree fell and a branch cut through their roof, stopping just above their bed.
    — Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 21 Sep. 2025
Definition of fall
Verb
  • Hopefully, Dallas gets a better update than what the injury appeared to be.
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
  • The playoff picture should get more clear in Week 5 with some huge showdowns - notably Penn State hosting Oregon and Georgia hosting Alabama.
    — Erick Smith, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Definition of get
Verb
  • Set in the slowly disappearing town of Malmberget in northern Sweden, the documentary explores what remains when a place vanishes – not only physically, but emotionally and culturally.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
  • The Atacama seemed to appear and disappear through a kaleidoscope positioned in outer space.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Definition of disappear

Browse Nearby Words

deodorizing
depart
departed
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Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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