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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
For his fourth feature, Post Tenebras Lux, Reygadas took a major detour toward the avant-garde and the personal, in a move that garnered him some detractors while pleasing his more hardcore fans. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026 Proper detour signs back at Polar Rock Road and Lang Drive on either side of the closure would have allowed drivers a safer and more efficient workaround. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
Bicyclists and pedestrians will be detoured using Garrison Street. — Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 But also, an increasing number of Latin artists are staking their own claims to complexity, such as Fuerza Regida, who detoured their corridos into Jersey club, or DJ duo Røz, who pepper their festival sets with electro-rock flirtations. — Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 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
  • Many proteins have significant regions where limited changes to their amino acid sequence are tolerable and other areas where even a slight deviation from the existing sequence inactivates the protein.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Bridge lifts usually happen on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Transportation Department said, though there are a couple of deviations from that schedule this year to accommodate ongoing rehabilitation work on the 110-year-old Lake Street Bridge.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of deviation
Verb
  • The priority status allows developers to bypass local regulatory plans, according to Soóki-Tóth.
    — Lucy Handley, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In particular, both Russia and Iran have repeatedly flagged Starlink as a major threat since it's been aiding Ukraine and helping local Iranians bypass internet censorship.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of bypass
Verb
  • Neon has been in communication the SCP Wiki team to ensure the film’s distribution does not deviate from their mission and licensing guidelines.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The complication shows the moon phases for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with a 135-tooth driving wheel that drastically enhances accuracy, deviating by just one day every 122 years.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of deviate
Noun
  • The departures show Meta is still shaping its strategy around AI and AI safety amid new calls for regulation in Washington.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The group formally processed the vessel’s departure and was trying to avoid violating Panamanian law.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of departure
Verb
  • Whether or not Hal was right to entice Zoe (upon whose shoulders the carnage ultimately falls), his decision to circumvent the Guardians’ chain of command is what ultimately leads to countless deaths and his imprisonment for reckless endangerment.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Fragmentation has allowed many powerful figures to get their message across by circumventing traditional media outlets whose questions many CEOs and politicians don’t want to answer.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of circumvent
Verb
  • The service The service here is a nod to the turn-of-the-last-century where waiters and barmen wear starched white dinner jackets and a pianist serenades your cocktails in a grand salon.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Hidden Planet is the latest in the canon, this time turning the micro-cameras on the world of insects.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of turn
Verb
  • Rates actually continued to increase after the Society of Surgical Oncology adopted the guidelines in 2016, even though patients who received the biopsy were not more likely to survive or avoid recurrence.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Clapp said the firm focuses on avoiding highly leveraged companies and floating-rate debt, instead favoring investments with dependable cash flows to support clients over the long term.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • In the top of the second, Shohei Ohtani walked to lead off the inning, then stole second as Teoscar Hernandez swung through strike three.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Ravens swung a surprise trade Wednesday for Eagles center Cam Jurgens, padding their interior offensive line after injuries to Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic.
    — Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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