as in aside
a departure from the subject under consideration
in the middle of her description of her dog's symptoms, she went off on a tangent about its cute behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in tangential
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tangent
David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
But there’s no one really off on a tangent doing their own thing.
—Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Anatola Araba, ELLE, 1 Sep. 2022
An early tangent veers into naval warfare, with various forces fighting for crucial shipping lanes.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Noun
There are cogent points about white supremacy and environmental destruction cheek by jowl with tangents on R. Kelly, ChatGPT, and the hair-root plexus.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
But there’s no one really off on a tangent doing their own thing.
—Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
This imaginary friend guides him through the tangent universe, encourages him to commit a series of crimes, and ends up triggering a chain of supernatural events.
—Anatola Araba, ELLE, 1 Sep. 2022
An early tangent veers into naval warfare, with various forces fighting for crucial shipping lanes.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tangent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangent
Noun
-
There was some talk among Trump allies that Musk’s media appearances may be curbed after an aside about the need to address waste in Social Security became fodder for Democrats who viewed it as an attack on the program.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
26 Mar. 2025
-
As an aside, will disappointing guidance lead to future weakness?—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Indeed, Buchwald won; the suit was famous in Hollywood circles regarding a tangential issue, namely laying bare the industry accounting practices that kept even wildly successful films from ever making a profit on paper.—
Bill Wyman,
Vulture,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Much like Kiryu's spy caper, Pirate Yakuza takes what would be tangential in the main series — a whacky combat arena — and centers a plot around it.—
James Perkins Mastromarino,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Outside of his core group of devotees, audiences didn’t know what to make of its trippy horror, absurdist humor and often frustrating digressions.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Organizational and systems theories suggest that introducing an organizing entity into a competitive environment can minimize digression, maximize synergy, and optimize performance—provided common goals and shared values exist.—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Denmark may even have been one of the region’s leading central powers, with England and Sweden as peripheral outposts.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The robot is designed to treat complex patient problems in the field of reconstructive surgery, lymphatic surgery, peripheral nerve repair and trauma.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That cinematic touch isn’t incidental: FUS is clearly aiming at an sonic version of an IMAX blockbuster.—
Michaelangelo Matos,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The district judge said the biological opinion and incidental take statement did not comply with the Endangered Species Act and another law known as the Administrative Procedure Act.—
Jim Saunders,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But Trump, from his first weeks in office, has instead threatened to render Congress almost irrelevant.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The drawing order of the five white balls is irrelevant.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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