1
as in deviated
to change one's course or direction
the deer abruptly diverged from its intended path the moment it spied the waiting lynx
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in separated
to go or move in different directions from a central point
at that point the road and the railroad tracks diverge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 diverged
Trump weighs in on Netanyahu criminal case Trump diverged from his prepared remarks to the Knesset to call on Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu, who faces three criminal charges.
—
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The films diverged from his usual filmography, and Condon reveled in that.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
As the years went on, their paths diverged financially.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The team pieced together what’s known as a phylogenetic tree showing how different human species may have diverged from one another over the past 1 million years.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
In turn, these pairs of strangers, whose brain activity diverged as the discussion unfolded, also rated their conversations as more enjoyable.
—Emily Falk, Scientific American, 25 Sep. 2025
There were some speeches from Federal Reserve governors as well as Chair Jerome Powell, but none diverged from previous policy statements.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
On Friday afternoon, the committee rejected a proposal that would have recommended that state and local jurisdictions require a prescription for the COVID-19 vaccine, but diverged from previous guidance on who should get the shot.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Some genetic studies suggest that the American lion diverged from the Eurasian cave lion lineage about 340,000 years ago, forming a unique North American branch of the lion family tree.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The films diverged from his usual filmography, and Condon reveled in that.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
As the years went on, their paths diverged financially.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The team pieced together what’s known as a phylogenetic tree showing how different human species may have diverged from one another over the past 1 million years.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
In turn, these pairs of strangers, whose brain activity diverged as the discussion unfolded, also rated their conversations as more enjoyable.
—Emily Falk, Scientific American, 25 Sep. 2025
There were some speeches from Federal Reserve governors as well as Chair Jerome Powell, but none diverged from previous policy statements.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
On Friday afternoon, the committee rejected a proposal that would have recommended that state and local jurisdictions require a prescription for the COVID-19 vaccine, but diverged from previous guidance on who should get the shot.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Some genetic studies suggest that the American lion diverged from the Eurasian cave lion lineage about 340,000 years ago, forming a unique North American branch of the lion family tree.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diverged
Verb
-
Etminan’s editing routine also deviated from his standard practice.—
Hugh Hart,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker deviated from the usual recitation of facts at this year’s State of the City address and instead chose to highlight the stories of individual residents.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Raw animal foods not separated by type based on minimum cook temperatures (raw chicken stored above raw eggs in walk-in cooler).—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Allen and Harbour, 50, were married for four years, and separated in 2024.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The nurse turned at the sound of footsteps outside the curtain around my bed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
-
No team in the Championship has lost more than the nine points Wrexham have dropped from a winning position this term, a damaging trait that began on the opening day at Southampton when two stoppage-time goals turned a 1-0 win into a dramatic loss.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Her glam was also a nod to Old Hollywood, as the star rocked a bold red lip and smokey eye, paired with her blonde bombshell curls parted on the side.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Her long blond ends drew a stark contrast to her faded brown roots, which were parted down the middle and brushed up in the back.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Doncic quickly swung the ball to Reaves after Minnesota sent two defenders his way, while Ayton’s defender (Rudy Gobert) went to pressure Reaves on the perimeter, briefly opening up a cutting lane for Ayton.—
Khobi Price,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
-
In another potentially worrying sign for the president, younger Hispanics and Hispanic men — two groups that swung particularly dramatically toward him in last year’s election — also see him a bit more negatively.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Phillips also asked that their assets be divided up by the court as separate property, with no indication in the papers that the exes had a prenup in place.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
But like other governer races, voters are divided along partisan lines.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Their long, narrow wings and forked tails stand out against wispy clouds and the sun, which is surrounded by a bright halo.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
From a cap perspective, bonus money is spread across the lifetime of a contract, even if the money is forked over at once, allowing Jones to outspend his competition in part thanks to the Cowboys’ league-leading cash flow.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At one point in the third quarter, Daniels scrambled against a blitz, stopped to throw, then retreated again 14 yards behind the line of scrimmage and completed a pass while getting crushed to the ground.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Yet, when countered with decisiveness, Putin has retreated.—
Kathleen Collins,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Diverged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diverged. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share