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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detour
Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The Scientology detour began one afternoon last year when Swhileyy walked past the church’s Hollywood complex and met Streets LA — a prolific critic of the organization.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
The new law simply detoured and condensed the speeding into a shorter distance, which is ridiculous.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detour
Noun
Here are six worth building a detour around.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The Scientology detour began one afternoon last year when Swhileyy walked past the church’s Hollywood complex and met Streets LA — a prolific critic of the organization.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Traffic will be detoured on Cedar Street to Martin Luther King Boulevard to University Avenue to Marion Street to westbound I-94.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
The new law simply detoured and condensed the speeding into a shorter distance, which is ridiculous.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detour
Noun
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In a deviation from standard protocol, that mission's Crew-11 predecessors had departed before the new astronauts' arrival due to an unprecedented medical evacuation.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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Compared to humans, Douglas captures photos from the exact same coordinates every day, allowing AI software to track progress and spot any deviations.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police said the driver of the black Ford Fusion was headed south on northwest 12th Avenue at a high rate of speed near northwest 188th Street when the driver tried to bypass slow-moving traffic by driving on the swale.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Under former President Jacob Zuma’s administration, a 9,600 MW plan tied to Russia’s Rosatom was struck down by the courts for bypassing parliamentary oversight.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The superstars’ set list didn’t deviate too far from their previous shows on the trek, but there were some surprises during the encore.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2026
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As of January, 27 states and the District of Columbia now deviate from federal guidelines for some or all childhood vaccines, according to KFF Health News.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 38-year-old was hired as the club’s new under-21s coach from Southampton’s academy last summer and then promoted to Rosenior’s backroom staff after impressing in a two-game spell at the helm following Enzo Maresca’s departure in January.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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If time permits, lock your home upon departure and disconnect utilities and appliances.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sales agents can circumvent those fees, requesting them from the seller directly, or a third party document site.—
Amancai Biraben,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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The leak caused consternation from department brass, Moers alleged, who were not happy that his commission had circumvented proper channels to receive emergency funding.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chicago had to remake its safety depth chart this offseason, and Coby Bryant and Thieneman have turned a potential weakness into a strength.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The scene at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington turned chaotic, Los Angeles Times reporters wrote, when a man dashed toward the dining area and was met with gunfire.—
Karim Doumar,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Players and coaches have become maddeningly mealy-mouthed, striving to avoid upsetting agents, sponsors, owners, fans, thin-skinned politicians, and whoever else might object.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who sits on the Housing and Homelessness Committee, said Friday the recommendations are intended to better align the city’s homelessness response with local needs while avoiding service disruptions and improving long-term coordination.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chevron's refiners swung to a loss of $817 million compared with a profit of $325 million in last year's quarter, due to the lower margins, the timing effects on financial hedges and higher transportation costs.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
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But two surprise special election victories in March buoyed Democratic hopes that Florida’s Republicans and independents could swing sharply left this year.—
Shauna Muckle,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detour. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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