: 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
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
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Additional safety precautions for residents due to more people driving through Old Louisville because of detours was also brought up during the meeting.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Motorists can detour by taking the I-43 southbound exit ramp to Highway 100 (108th Street); Highway 100 to Layton Avenue; and Layton Avenue to the 60th Street entrance ramp back to I-41 southbound/I-43 northbound/I-894 eastbound.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
In one of the podcast’s sharper detours, the discussion turns to Graham Platner, the Senate candidate in Maine whose campaign has been rattled by old Reddit posts and an apparent Nazi tattoo.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Additional safety precautions for residents due to more people driving through Old Louisville because of detours was also brought up during the meeting.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
Drivers were encouraged to detour on state routes 177 and 77 through Winkelman.
—Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Motorists can detour by taking the I-43 southbound exit ramp to Highway 100 (108th Street); Highway 100 to Layton Avenue; and Layton Avenue to the 60th Street entrance ramp back to I-41 southbound/I-43 northbound/I-894 eastbound.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detour
Cite this Entry
“Detour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detour. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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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