as in aside
a departure from the subject under consideration
in the middle of her description of her dog's symptoms, she went off on a tangent about its cute behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in tangential
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 tangent
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Stephen seemed to have a couple tangents like that one.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
Austin’s former president then went on a tangent talking about Reese’s eggs, Cap’n Crunch and berries.
—Frank Pallotta, CNN, 17 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for tangent 
Noun
Odd tangents by Trump, such as about the fictional cannibal Hannibal Lecter or the late golfer Arnold Palmer’s genitalia, have also become routine.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Stephen seemed to have a couple tangents like that one.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Adjective
An early tangent veers into naval warfare, with various forces fighting for crucial shipping lanes.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
Austin’s former president then went on a tangent talking about Reese’s eggs, Cap’n Crunch and berries.
—Frank Pallotta, CNN, 17 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for tangent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangent
Noun
-
Just as an aside for context, Dixon’s family didn’t know about the Medlock connection until the research for this seris began.Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
-
In its legal asides and the opaque quality of its principal characters, the series mirrors the spirit of the books.Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Even if an idea feels tangential or trivial, consider it.Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
-
His meandering public speeches have, in recent months, grown longer, more tangential, and darker in tone.Tribune News Service, Sun Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
There are almost no digressions on this show, none of the narrative curlicues and flourishes that elevate work above serviceable.Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
-
His whole digression into crypto bros and podcast listeners has been all over my For You pages this week, and for good reason.David Pierce, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Movement intention originates in the brain, which sends electrical impulses through the peripheral nerves to tell the muscle to contract.Emily Mullin, WIRED, 9 Dec. 2024
-
None of these peripheral characters feel fully sketched out, despite the actors trying to liven things up; at least Crowe lends gravitas and a sense of anarchy to his nightmare of a patriarch, and Nivola seems to be having fun prior to his CGI transformation thing.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The country’s Supreme Court, in a report that was kept sealed but reported on by Politico, rubber-stamped the hacking as incidental to legitimate state operations.Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2024
-
Through 161 interviews, a narrative emerged: once abundant, they were now relegated as mere bycatch, with a staggering 99.3% of respondents acknowledging their incidental capture.Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Authority figures disproportionately influence decisions, even when their preferences are irrelevant.Shanna Apitz, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
-
In the box score, the Cincinnati Bengals’ 37-27 victory against the Tennessee Titans will look like a largely irrelevant game between two teams no longer a real factor in the playoff chase (though the Bengals are holding on to the slimmest of hopes).Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tangent
Cite this Entry
“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share