to detour
- verb
- /ˈdiːtʊr/
- Due to the road closure, we had to detour through the countryside to reach the city.
Think of it as if a bubble gets stuck, the fluid has to detour around it.
- Think of it as if a bubble gets stuck, the fluid has to detour around it.
- So when we hit a traffic point, he detoured me through a rope and we basically bypassed the traffic.
- Do I make it work or do I detour off the left and take the next project?
Examples
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Detouring to avoid the riot.
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We're detouring.
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Do I make it work or do I detour off the left and take the next project?
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To think I let him detour me from my original purpose.
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The most significant learning can often result when students detour from the initial plan.
Academic text (1998) -
One road was totally blocked by traffic, and the police were detouring cars.
Fiction book (1995) -
In Terre Haute, a wreck caused our driver to detour onto a back country road.
Blog text (32) -
I'm willing to detour.
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You'll have to detour.
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A trip to the cafeteria requires detouring around nesting albatross, displaying pairs, nestlings, and, at the same time, dodging low-flying birds.
Academic text (1999)
Synonyms
To cause something like traffic or a river to go a different way
To move slowly along a curving path
To take a long, unnecessary route to reach a place or answer
Antonyms
How Indirect
Surface Forms
Etymology
Detour as a verb comes from the same French parts de- 'away' and tour 'turn'. So to detour is to go by a different route that 'turns you away' from your normal path to avoid an obstacle.