Definition of departnext

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 The Niledutch Lion is expected to depart from India’s Mundra Port on April 7 and is scheduled to arrive at Qasim on April 9. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026 One of the bigger behind-the-scenes developments this quarter was Sam Zimmerman departing Shudder for Blumhouse. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026 Lappen, 54, is the second high-profile behavioral health official to depart in the past year. Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026 But while Americans bear the cost of the war — as well as the ongoing DHS shutdown — Congress has departed Washington for a two-week recess. Josh Feldman, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for depart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart
Verb
  • Saks Global is one step closer to exiting bankruptcy.
    Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Main Street owned roughly 15 channels, but at one point aired 30 MLB, NHL and NBA teams after exiting bankruptcy.
    Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The investigation is ongoing and the identities of the people who died have not been released.
    Brandon Downs, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • One infant receiving the Mead Johnson product died — from sepsis, the article said.
    David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Prisoners have been moved because of staffing, food, and capacity shortages at the facilities where they were being held.
    Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The rain will start to clear out Sunday evening as the front moves through and begins to usher in drier, but cooler temperatures for next week.
    Bill Kelly, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Cookie perished, to say nothing of the dog.
    Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The three perished when the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Could a straighter road make cars go faster?
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
  • To meet his growing costs, Meraj had increased the price of a cup of tea from ten rupees to fifteen, a fifty-per-cent rise (in New York terms, like a cup of drip coffee going from just shy of four dollars to nearly six overnight).
    Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Night fell, and Martha came to a small black lake.
    Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Photos shared on social media shows the massive slabs of rock fell just past a blind curve and the SUV sustained major front-end damage.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The move will allow TSA employees to get their paychecks as early as March 30 instead of waiting for back pay after the shutdown ends.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Hope Harvill got the game winner in the 17th minute off an assist by Paola Granados for the Mustangs.
    Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • And the bumbling nature of Lesgate, with Jones playing the internal conflicts sharply, comes with succumbing to the horrid nature of what money can bring.
    David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Luis Daniel Gutierrez Mora, 31, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on Tuesday, CMPD said in a March 25 news release.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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