detour 1 of 2

as in deviation
a turning away from a course or standard we'll regard this relapse as just a brief detour on your road to recovery from substance abuse

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detour

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to bypass
to avoid by going around we had to detour the construction zone in order to get to the stadium

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2
as in to deviate
to change one's course or direction we had to detour for a few miles around the section of highway under construction

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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 detour
Noun
Caltrans built a temporary bridge and detour across the river that is still used today. Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025 The closure would leave drivers, bus riders and cyclists in the lurch with no clear detour between downtown and neighborhoods to the east, advocates say. Jay R. Jordan, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Traffic is being detoured to Hesters Crossing Road. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Oct. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
Noun
  • Even among those results, many were minor deviations from expectation.
    Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • This allows quality deviations to be found more quickly, which is intended to lead to less recalls down the line when products are already in customer hands, among other things.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued the first waiver of the administration to speed President Trump’s border wall, bypassing environmental regulations to aid construction.
    Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Luna, a cosponsor of the bill, moved to bypass leadership and launched a discharge petition, a procedural move that allows a measure to move forward without the speaker's approval, to force a vote on it.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The show deviates from the real Melissa and Keith and goes into entirely fictional territory, introducing another possible victim.
    Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
  • There’s always a chance for a surprise cameo that deviates from the source material, but Choi Hyun-wook is not currently listed as a Season 2 cast member.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Already, the film feels like a major departure from the Zack Snyder interpretation of the character, with brighter colors and a sense of hope despite the gravity of the situation.
    Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Yet, as your departure date approaches, anxiety sets in.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In August, de Moraes increased the financial penalties and implemented a nationwide ban on X. Musk briefly circumvented the ban through Starlink, which provides internet service to many Brazilians, but he was evidently rattled.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
  • European companies might circumvent President Donald Trump's anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program, a legal expert has told Newsweek.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • An elegant ode to functionality, the studio installed a curtain rail around a daybed, allowing the space to be turned into an impromptu extra guest room.
    María Noval-Quílez, Architectural Digest, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Throughout the past decade, pitchers have turned their focus to training techniques that increase their average velocity and the over-all movement of the ball—even at the expense of throwing strikes.
    Lindsey Adler, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In another legend, the monk was said to have cut off his eyelids to avoid falling asleep during his meditation, one explanation for the doll’s wide-eyed stare.
    Rebecca Cairns, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Facing the Marlins for the second time in a week, the Mets (7-3) avoided facing ace Sandy Alcantara, with the 2022 Cy Young Award winner having been added to the paternity list earlier in the day.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • With Orlando trailing by 2 points less than a minute into the fourth quarter at Spectrum Center following a disastrous third, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball looked to swing the ball to Nick Smith Jr. waiting in the corner.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, (Last week: 1) The betting odds have swung massively into Gilgeous-Alexander’s favor with Jokić missing so many games recently with an ankle injury.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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