detour 1 of 2

noun

ˈdē-ˌtu̇r How to pronounce detour (audio)
Definition of detournext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
This book is preoccupied with self-inquiry; its protagonist takes plenty of procedural detours to cross-examine his fascination with death and his troubled relationships with women. — Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and written by Ana Nogueira, the film is a fun detour that gives a backstory to Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026
Verb
Traffic was detoured along a route that took drivers an additional six to eight hours to navigate, and the state issued a disaster declaration to acquire federal funding. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 26 June 2026 In the nearly seven years since her Sweetener World Tour, Grande detoured from her hugely successful pop career to amplify her acting aspirations. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
  1. deviation
  2. bypass
  3. deviate
  4. departure
  5. circumvent
  6. turn
  7. avoid
  8. swing
Noun
  • In the book, the Senator is a man — Paul Thurman — but Yost previously confirmed that the show makes significant deviations from the source material.
    — Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • The structural design curtails the necessity for active safety mechanisms, electronic trip switches, or manual operator control interventions during an operational deviation.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of deviation
Verb
  • When a user asks an AI to find a running shoe that can arrive by Friday for under $100, the agent bypasses the company's storefront entirely.
    — Arne Jeroschewski, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Commissioners also discussed Florida’s Live Local Act, which allows qualifying housing developments to bypass certain local zoning regulations.
    — Sofia Baltodano, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Definition of bypass
Verb
  • Honda's vehicles feature a distinct design language and identity that evolves without deviating from the brand's ethos.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • And yet at the start of the Mass, a priest read aloud a statement justifying the consecrations as a necessary defense of the faith and criticizing how the Catholic Church today had deviated from tradition.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of deviate
Noun
  • The moves were meant to reshape the roster to maximize superstar Luka Doncic, who will take the reins with the departure of LeBron James.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Johnston, Cobbins leaving Johnston’s departure comes just three years after becoming the long-term replacement for former County Administrator Doug Bach, who left the government under an $800,000 separation agreement.
    — Sofi Zeman July 2, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Definition of departure
Verb
  • The case garnered national interest because Oregon's new law targets the loopholes large staffing firms have been employing to circumvent state corporate medicine laws.
    — Alex Olgin, NPR, 3 July 2026
  • The amendments would also give the commissioner power to demand information from third parties, including age assurance technology providers, to test claims made by platforms about how children continued to circumvent the ban.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of circumvent
Verb
  • Some critics on social media counter that the gatherings risk turning spirituality into spectacle, performance and commodity all at once.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • The patriotic ball drop is scheduled to air at midnight ET on CNN as July 3 turns into July 4 in Times Square.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of turn
Verb
  • Other methods to reduce the harm from sweltering temperatures include more breaks and flexible shifts so workers can avoid the midday sun, according to the WHO.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • While the morning may feel personal — especially if someone questions your judgment, appearance or direction — avoid treating their feedback (or silence) as rejection.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • Beat a prime Holloway at 170, though, and the door swings back open to the paydays he's chased since the rematch became official.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • To the fans who have watched the Warriors swing and miss on free agents and various trade targets over the last few years, watching Simons sign with another team was painful.
    — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of swing

Browse Nearby Words

detonations
detour
detoured
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Cite this Entry

“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of detour for Spanish Speakers

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