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 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 If Dennis does not want to become the next Harry Arter — who saw out the final three years of his Forest contract with little chance of first-team football before departing last summer — Dennis needs to find first-team football elsewhere. The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024 What To Know In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the French military revealed that the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group, which departed from the port of Toulon on the French Mediterranean coast in late November, was now underway in the Indian Ocean with India in its sights. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024 The boat departs from Pier 34 at Hudson River Park, and offers a three-hour open bar, a buffet dinner and a dance floor. Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024 Delta Flight 487, an Airbus A321neo aircraft scheduled to depart Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for Honolulu on Dec. 24, was stopped while the plane was taxiing on a runway when the unticketed passenger, who was not identified, was discovered, according to the airline. Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for depart 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart
Verb
  • Flowers exited with a pronounced limp, had a brief stay in the blue medical tent and then retreated to the locker room with team doctors.
    Zac Jackson, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Suggs exited the game to applause from the fans at Scotiabank Arena.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Fullerton police said the two people who died are believed to have been inside the plane at the time of the crash.
    Alex Stone, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Antique chandeliers and sconces, only a few of which seemed to function, wilted from the walls and ceilings like dying flowers.
    Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The couple had just moved from their modest fixer-upper in Altadena’s Janes Village to their dream home in architect Gregory Ain’s Park Planned homes, when the Eaton fire roared to life.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • While Alt moved from the left side to the right, Latham made the reverse transition and played well in his first season at left tackle.
    Dane Brugler, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Decades later, in 2002, the truth was revealed at The Second World Space Congress—that is, Laika perished within hours of launching.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
  • More than 100,000 Dutch Jews perished—roughly 75 percent of the country’s Jewish population.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • There was hardly a fashionable progressive cause on which Trudeau didn’t go all-in.
    The Editors, National Review, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Drafted by the Browns in 2010, McCoy had to go with the teams that wanted to give him a job.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • On paper, the movie is a very American epic—the rise and fall of a master builder, told as extravagantly as possible on 70-millimeter VistaVision, a largely obsolete film format that was predominantly used in the 1950s and ’60s.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • This is a negligible amount compared with the more than 3.5 inches that fall during that period in an average year.
    Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Biden's plan was to enable applicants to stay with their families while immigration officials determined their cases, touting it as a far more humane way to carry out the process and get more people green cards or permanent resident status.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
  • People with low credit scores can also have trouble getting a loan or can be forced to borrow at higher interest rates.
    Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • In fact, to the band members, American just let the album disappear.
    Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
  • If bonuses shrink or disappear, executives might feel less connected to the company’s success.
    Priya Cherian Huskins, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near depart

Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on depart

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!