: 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
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
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
But our margin of safety—and the kids’ tolerance—had worn too thin to risk any long detours or backtracks.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2025
Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2025
But Long Bright River detours heavily into the opioid crisis and police corruption.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
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Noun
The best of Mythic Quest’s detours have been the ones that have deepened the main narrative’s themes or the people within it.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
But our margin of safety—and the kids’ tolerance—had worn too thin to risk any long detours or backtracks.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
Typically, the process goes like this: Vehicles are detoured into the checkpoint from the highway, queuing up if there is a line.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2025
But Long Bright River detours heavily into the opioid crisis and police corruption.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
Cite this Entry
“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detour. Accessed 8 Apr. 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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