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
Relevance
as in tangential
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tangent
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
At this point, the joke veers into tangents.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
Austin’s former president then went on a tangent talking about Reese’s eggs, Cap’n Crunch and berries.
—Frank Pallotta, CNN, 17 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Noun
The Story Behind Gomez’s AirDrop Name In one of the episode’s more amusing tangents, Gomez shared the story behind her iPhone’s AirDrop name.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
At this point, the joke veers into tangents.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
An early tangent veers into naval warfare, with various forces fighting for crucial shipping lanes.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
Austin’s former president then went on a tangent talking about Reese’s eggs, Cap’n Crunch and berries.
—Frank Pallotta, CNN, 17 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangent
Noun
-
The pace of observation is furious, and even simple plot points are crosshatched with micro-incidents, asides, and gestures that overflow the boundaries of a screenplay and spill out into life at large.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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To even the score, Weir’s novel describes ammonia-breathing Rocky as smelling like cat pee, an aside the script politely omits.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And though Russia is playing only a tangential role in the crisis there, Moscow could emerge as one of the victors of war.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the protagonists have tangential connections to each other, while some are family.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One of Scarpetta’s digressions in particular is damaging to the show’s fortunes.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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The core of this book, stripping away the weird digressions, is about how society makes monsters.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mobile health clinics offer a powerful solution and should be integrated into core health-system strategy, not treated as peripheral outreach.—
Crystal Cene,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, also called ASCVD, is caused by plaque buildup in the arteries and can include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, and aortic atherosclerotic disease, according to the American Heart Association.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To the extent permitted by applicable law, all judgments or awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket damages (excluding attorneys’ fees) associated with participation in this Promotion and shall not include any indirect, punitive, incidental and/or consequential damages.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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In reality, instruction in table manners was incidental to the main lesson, which was how to exchange ideas, frame a polite argument and, if necessary, pretend to be interested in what others had done that day.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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So, all of the other amazing things that'll happen on the way are irrelevant, if that doesn't go well.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
His running mate is irrelevant to matching funds.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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