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 Gannon said agents waited until the mogul departed for a trip with his relatives prior to executing the search warrant. Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025 May 14: 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., Quality Inn and Suites lobby and elevator; 5 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., Quality Inn and Suites hotel shuttle to airport; 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., DIA main terminal, train to gates and concourse B. Passenger departed from Gate B86. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 23 May 2025 Broderick, who had won a Tony for his starring role as J. Pierrepont Finch before departing the production in the fall of 1995, returned to How to Succeed the following March to appear opposite Parker for four months. Emma Specter, Vogue, 23 May 2025 Framing judges as enemies of democracy or as obstacles to the people’s will departs sharply from the traditional view – held across political lines – that the judiciary is an essential, nonpartisan part of the American constitutional system. Michael Gregory, The Conversation, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for depart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart
Verb
  • Fischer explained that she's heard a narrative that the show declined in quality about halfway through its run, which lasted from 2005 until 2013, and that the sitcom struggled once series lead Steve Carell exited during season 7.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 29 May 2025
  • Four other transfer quarterbacks also exited with years to spare.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Pride, who died in 2020, is considered to be the country genre's first Black superstar.
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 May 2025
  • About 200 of those died in crashes that occurred on Chicago expressways, records show.
    Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • If the execution moves forward this time, Smith will be the first inmate executed in Tennessee since 2020 and the 19th in the U.S. this year.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Enterprise software stacks tend to move, blend, shift and drift over time as software developers and data scientists skew them one way or another depending on the need for new applications, the use of different toolsets and the adoption of different development methodologies.
    Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • An estimated 62 percent of commercial colonies perished, according to a survey by the nonprofit Project Apis m.
    Joanna Thompson, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025
  • The plane explodes, all the commanders perish, and Nick dies along with them.
    Michileen Martin, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • What went right, what went wrong, and what are the prospects for Elon's mammoth rocket meeting NASA's goals for a moon landing in 2027?
    Space.com Staff, Space.com, 31 May 2025
  • Last fall, Isshiki Matcha went viral after Zheng managed to import a shipment of the famous Olympic Village chocolate muffins to the U.S. Perseverance is also important, as when the Omicron variant of Covid-19 raged through New York City just one month after Moko’s official opening.
    Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • More: Stocks fall, Dow down 800 points as bonds tank amid tax debate.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • An injured climber was rescued after falling 30 feet down a California rock formation, officials say.
    Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 21 May 2025
  • That, plus more demanding processors, higher burst rates, and video modes, means mirrorless cameras get less battery life than DSLRs.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The film is also an introspective interrogation of Cruise's stardom, confronting its main character with uncomfortable realities: his world is artificial, insulated, and fleeting, and his multimillion-dollar good looks could disappear in an instant.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 May 2025
  • Julius Randle was one of the bright spots in Game 1, but disappeared in Game 2, scoring just six points with five rebounds on 2-for-11 shooting.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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