: a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially
: a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route
detoured; detouring; detours
: to proceed by a detour
detour around road construction
1
: to send by a circuitous route
detour traffic around an accident
2
: to avoid by going around : bypass
detour an accident site
Synonyms
Examples of detour in a Sentence
Noun
After a number of unexpected detours, we finally arrived at our destination.
The little restaurant is worth a detour.
We had to make a detour around the heaviest traffic.
We took a detour from the main streets.
The road is closed ahead, so traffic will have to follow the detour.
Verb
We detoured around the heaviest traffic.
A police officer was detouring traffic around the scene of the accident.
Traffic will be detoured to 72nd Street.
Recent Examples on the Web
Marc Schneider, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
There are detours that don’t have to do with the romantic narrative, but not many.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
The bridge will be closed through Friday and road crews are working to clear snow for a local detour through the Old Lake City cutoff, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2024
As crews work to finish a $15 million construction project aimed at safe turning, commuters who frequent Sacramento’s Broadway corridor should expect detours, according to a news release from the city.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
But the detour opened the door to another career—banking—and to a new ‘why not?’ mindset.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Drivers can expect detours in the area while the roadway remains closed.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024
The work is not expected to result in any road closures or detours.
—Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
All could be within reach if Glasnow continues the arc of a baseball career that began to take shape as an awkward teenager at Newhall Hart High School and has been trending upward — even with a detour for elbow surgery — for the last seven years.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Xander Zellner, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024
The closure will last through Saturday, Jan. 20, at 5 p.m. Drivers will be detoured in both directions.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2024
The Maryland Transportation Authority said on social media that all lanes are closed in both directions and that traffic is being detoured.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 26 Mar. 2024
The Maryland Transportation Authority said all lanes were closed in both directions on I-695, with traffic being detoured to I-95 and I-895.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2024
When: From 9 p.m. Friday, March 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, March 25.
Alternate Routes: Drivers heading eastbound on I-10 can detour to southbound or eastbound Loop 202 and reconnect with the I-10 near Chandler Boulevard in the Ahwatukee area.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
Biscayne Boulevard southbound traffic will be re-routed westbound at Northeast Sixth Street and detoured to Northeast Second Avenue and/or North Miami Avenue.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Motorists were detoured from I-85 south as officers from the Belmont police traffic division investigated the collision.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 2 Mar. 2024
Click here:Metro's snow detour list This shows routes that could be detoured due to bad road conditions and how those routes might be rerouted.
—The Enquirer, 19 Jan. 2024
Noun
Duarte has been a member of the Sony fam for roughly 14 of the last 21 years, only taking a Def Jam detour in 2013 before joining Epic in 2020.
—Marc Schneider, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
There are detours that don’t have to do with the romantic narrative, but not many.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
The bridge will be closed through Friday and road crews are working to clear snow for a local detour through the Old Lake City cutoff, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2024
As crews work to finish a $15 million construction project aimed at safe turning, commuters who frequent Sacramento’s Broadway corridor should expect detours, according to a news release from the city.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
But the detour opened the door to another career—banking—and to a new ‘why not?’ mindset.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Drivers can expect detours in the area while the roadway remains closed.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024
The work is not expected to result in any road closures or detours.
—Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
All could be within reach if Glasnow continues the arc of a baseball career that began to take shape as an awkward teenager at Newhall Hart High School and has been trending upward — even with a detour for elbow surgery — for the last seven years.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
His career was detoured in 2007 when he was arrested for an armed robbery.
—Xander Zellner, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024
The closure will last through Saturday, Jan. 20, at 5 p.m. Drivers will be detoured in both directions.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2024
The Maryland Transportation Authority said on social media that all lanes are closed in both directions and that traffic is being detoured.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 26 Mar. 2024
The Maryland Transportation Authority said all lanes were closed in both directions on I-695, with traffic being detoured to I-95 and I-895.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2024
When: From 9 p.m. Friday, March 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, March 25.
Alternate Routes: Drivers heading eastbound on I-10 can detour to southbound or eastbound Loop 202 and reconnect with the I-10 near Chandler Boulevard in the Ahwatukee area.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
Biscayne Boulevard southbound traffic will be re-routed westbound at Northeast Sixth Street and detoured to Northeast Second Avenue and/or North Miami Avenue.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Motorists were detoured from I-85 south as officers from the Belmont police traffic division investigated the collision.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 2 Mar. 2024
Click here:Metro's snow detour list This shows routes that could be detoured due to bad road conditions and how those routes might be rerouted.
—The Enquirer, 19 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near detour
Cite this Entry
“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detour. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detour
1 of 2 noun
de·tour
ˈdē-ˌtu̇(ə)r 
also di-ˈtu̇(ə)r
: a departure from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially
: a roundabout way temporarily replacing a regular route
detour
2 of 2 verb
: to send or proceed by a detour
detour traffic around an accident
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