detour

1 of 2

noun

de·​tour ˈdē-ˌtu̇r 

 also  di-ˈtu̇r

: a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure

especially : a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route

detour

2 of 2

verb

detoured; detouring; detours

intransitive verb

: to proceed by a detour

detour around road construction

transitive verb

1

: to send by a circuitous route

detour traffic around an accident

2

: to avoid by going around : bypass

detour an accident site

Synonyms

Noun

• deflection
• departure
• deviation
• divagation
• divergence
• divergency
• diversion

Verb

• bypass
• circumnavigate
• circumvent
• skirt

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

Noun

The issue first arose at an October 11 hearing in Fort Worth, where O’Connor worked through the routine details of the plea deal before taking a sharp detour to ask why the Justice Department included DEI considerations in choosing a monitor. —Evan Perez, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024

And after a rare blue-state detour in Coachella, California, on Sunday, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump will also return to battleground states in the coming days. —Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024

Verb

Southbound traffic on Mill Avenue will be detoured at Rio Salado Parkway. —Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 24 July 2024

The transcript of the audio is wide-ranging and bizarre, with Sterling detouring at one point to talk about the treatment of Black Jews in Israel to justify his own views on race. —Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French détour, from Old French destor, from destorner to divert, from des- de- + torner to turn — more at turn

First Known Use

Noun

1738, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids 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