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

Examples of depart in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web Concrete trucks routinely queued up on nearby streets before departing right on La Brea Avenue with their agitator drums turning. Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024 Tactically, this project succeeded: The PLO and its armed militants departed for Tunisia. Kim Ghattas, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2024 The president will depart for Wilmington, Del., after his remarks. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024 Olivera, who in August joined the CBS procedural as a new BAU agent for Season 7, is departing the series after filming only a handful of episodes, TVLine has confirmed. Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for depart 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Biden’s refusal to exit the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous initial debate performance in June kicked off a whirlwind season that gave rise to Harris.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Redstone will exit the Paramount board after Skydance and RedBird Capital Partners complete the two-part transaction to acquire Redstone’s National Amusements Inc. and then merge Skydance and Paramount, Variety confirmed.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The organization, created in 2002 after four students at a Jefferson County high school died by suicide in a nine-month period, is branching out beyond the Front Range.
    Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
  • Suddenly, Stephen is a father again, tearfully clutching a crying boy, the one his son died to save.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • If the company does not adhere to the agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can move forward with the case.
    Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Both companies are moving aggressively to capture market share before Apple releases its own AI features.
    Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In the end, 384 men survived and 828 perished, either in the hold or in the water.
    Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The shelter said on Facebook that all of the dogs perished in the blaze.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Tough way for the drive to end for Philly, which opted to kick a short field goal instead of going for the tie.
    Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Filippone recently sold a condo whose agent went into contract, then didn’t send in his client’s application.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Bayern did equalize through Harry Kane but then fell apart as Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski put Barça 3-1 up by the break.
    Ben Church, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
  • Drawing from his own experiences growing up in South Africa, Noah explores the universal tensions between parents and children, particularly the disconnect that can occur when understanding falls short.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • What typical purchases will likely get pricier during the next Trump era?
    Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Almost half of real-estate agents in the country got into the business in the last five years, buoyed by buyers who did not seem aware of how the system worked.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • When fall arrives, the Roberts family disappears into the woods.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
  • But when the Hubble Space Telescope turned its gaze toward Neptune’s dark eye in 1994, the spot had disappeared.
    Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near depart

Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on depart

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