as in abnormal
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal
the mother's deviate response to her child's death aroused suspicions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
a sleazy bar that seemed to be an informal clubhouse for deviates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 deviate
Bea Lewis,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Dec. 2022
But despite the stress on the program, Campbell didn’t deviate from his core values — choosing redshirt sophomore quarterback Hunter Dekkers over anyone from the portal.
—
Dallas News,
14 July 2022
Krishna Kumar,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Because of this, cells develop randomly and uncontrollably, deviating from anything that mirrors human development.
—
New Atlas,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deviate
Noun
Her list will be specific — and one dares not deviate or DIL will have another reason to blame everything her husband (your beloved son) does wrong.
—
Bea Lewis,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Dec. 2022
But despite the stress on the program, Campbell didn’t deviate from his core values — choosing redshirt sophomore quarterback Hunter Dekkers over anyone from the portal.
—
Dallas News,
14 July 2022
Verb
Periods of fear, overconfidence, or uncertainty can often lead to decisions that deviate from long-term plans.
—
Krishna Kumar,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Because of this, cells develop randomly and uncontrollably, deviating from anything that mirrors human development.
—
New Atlas,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deviate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviate
Adjective
-
In this context, when screening healthy asymptomatic people who aren’t at high risk, the chance at an ideal screening result of identifying abnormal tissue that can be eliminated is very low.
-
The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
Noun
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.
-
You are being spied on by a pervert.
Verb
-
Some critics on social media counter that the gatherings risk turning spirituality into spectacle, performance and commodity all at once.
-
The patriotic ball drop is scheduled to air at midnight ET on CNN as July 3 turns into July 4 in Times Square.
Adjective
-
Even after extensive engineering, Coach Eve would take about three seconds to reply to a question—a delay users felt was uncomfortable and unnatural.
-
His speech was an unnatural blur.
Noun
-
But while his recent albums with Tony Seltzer and Subjxct 5 resurfaced some of the dynamism brought by Sporting Life during his younger years as the fire-breathing degenerate who tied Ratking together, that energy takes a backseat here.
-
Now playback all the degenerate, violent entertainment Julianne has happily participated in throughout her career.
Verb
-
Beat a prime Holloway at 170, though, and the door swings back open to the paydays he's chased since the rematch became official.
-
To the fans who have watched the Warriors swing and miss on free agents and various trade targets over the last few years, watching Simons sign with another team was painful.
Noun
-
Red Cross volunteers handed out supplies such as gloves, rakes, tarps, and more to homeowners.
-
Just sprinkle them around the base of your plants and scratch them into the soil with a hand rake or your fingers.
Verb
-
Where the sources diverged more meaningfully is in explaining why institutions haven’t intervened—and each offered a different piece of the puzzle.
-
Industry forecasts diverge sharply on how fast the gap closes.
Cite this Entry
“Deviate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
