en route

adverb or adjective

än-ˈrüt How to pronounce en route (audio) äⁿ(n)-ˈrüt How to pronounce en route (audio)
en-, 
in-, 
-ˈrau̇t How to pronounce en route (audio)
: on or along the way
he reads en route
arrived early despite en route delays

Examples of en route in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In 2010, a seaplane carrying Ted Stevens, likely the most powerful politician ever to come out of Alaska, crashed en route to a salmon lodge near Bristol Bay. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 In most cases where the acquirer is en route to paying a price amounting to a humongous PE, the acquirer’s stock falls. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 The Patriots got off to a rocky start to the season, struggling offensively in their first three games en route to two losses. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Haggin’s thoroughbred namesake was trained at Rancho Del Paso en route to becoming the Golden State’s first to win the Kentucky Derby. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for en route

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of en route was in 1779

Rhymes for en route

See All Rhymes for en route

Browse Nearby Words

enround
en route
ENS
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“En route.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/en%20route. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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