detour 1 of 2

Definition of detournext
as in deviation
a turning away from a course or standard we'll regard this relapse as just a brief detour on your road to recovery from substance abuse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

detour

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to bypass
to avoid by going around we had to detour the construction zone in order to get to the stadium

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to deviate
to change one's course or direction we had to detour for a few miles around the section of highway under construction

Synonyms & Similar 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 detour
Noun
Immediately after alighting from its fanciful detour, Woods makes the odd decision to leave Emily’s perspective and lock into Sylvia’s. Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 June 2026 Road construction along Rochester Road between 13 Mile and 14 Mile roads is creating ongoing challenges for local businesses, as lane closures and detours limit customer access. Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Verb
Drivers now have to detour at Mclaughlin Drive to reach the airport. Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026 In the nearly seven years since her Sweetener World Tour, Grande detoured from her hugely successful pop career to amplify her acting aspirations. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
Noun
  • Thus, traces of this quantum gravity theory or a fifth fundamental force appearing as deviations from Newton's laws should be testable with a wide range of experiments.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 June 2026
  • Don’t mistake that for a deviation from his years-long campaign to oust Susan Collins.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • An image-parsing bug in the software that presented hardware manufacturers’ logos during bootup allowed attackers to bypass Secure Boot and infect the UEFI with malicious firmware.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026
  • Clinics lean on the absorption argument, that the IV route bypasses the gut, to justify both the format and the price.
    Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • But as someone who has frankly had their fill of Forza Horizon’s rote, unflinching refusal to deviate from a money-printing formula, Maverick has earned my attention for zigging where many racing game devs tend to zag.
    Adam Ismail, The Drive, 11 June 2026
  • The square toe deviated from the quintessential round toe the Chanel cap-toe slingback is associated with, while the strap design played with cutouts and doubled around the ankle.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • Authorities said Carpiuc was arrested on May 17 in the departure lounge at Luton Airport moments before boarding a flight to Romania.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
  • For arrival and departure, the drive from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) ranges between 40 minutes to one hour.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • In its statement, Anthropic said the government had identified a specific technique that could allow users to circumvent some narrow safeguards for Fable 5.
    Jared Perlo, NBC news, 13 June 2026
  • That decision could also open the floodgates, with schools using those entities to circumvent the cap.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • Kelce, who will turn 37 years old in the middle of the season, is looking to rebound from a bit of a down season.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
  • The Knicks used their experience and moxie to hold off the exuberant young Spurs’ early game runs, eventually turning the screws in the second and third quarters to build solid leads.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • Maintain a safe distance from windows and avoid seeking refuge in large open rooms like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2026
  • Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war, according to some Western intelligence reports, and hundreds of thousands more have left the country to avoid being drafted.
    Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • The pendulum never really swung away from maximizing shareholder value.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • The turnover swung the momentum in Minnesota’s favor.
    Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on detour

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster