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Glite Dictionary
to depart for

to depart for

14 2.5
To leave one place to go to another place
  • phrasal verb
  • /dɪˈpɑrt fɔr/
translation icon : partir hacia
  • The Bosporus Ferry will shortly depart for Istanbul Sirkeci Station, connecting with the Orient Express.
  • departed for England

Examples

  • I know you finished top of your class in standard six, before you departed for Lagos.

    October 1 (2014)

  • You are to depart for the front at once and deliver these orders immediately.

    Cyrano (2021)

  • My sister and I depart for England just in time for the winter.

    Crimson Peak (2015)

  • Two days before I was scheduled to depart for New York, I began to seriously panic.

  • From there we shall depart for the hunt at 7:00 a.m.

    Boa vs. Python (2004)

  • I fear I must depart for Hingham Bridge immediately.

    Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

  • We shall meet at Harding's and depart for the manor.

    Nosferatu (2024)

  • This is the final boarding call for Flight 1204, departing for Oahu, Hawaii.

    American Ultra (2015)

  • Flight 1258 departing for Santo Domingo will be boarding here shortly.

    The Killer (2023)

  • The students will depart for the field trip at 9 AM sharp.

Synonyms

to take off
vsto depart for
273 3.2

To leave a place quickly, often to travel somewhere else

is leaving to reach a named destination without suddenness emphasis
to depart
vsto depart for
176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

is leaving specifically for a named destination rather than general exit
to head out
vsto depart for
167 2.5

To leave a place to start a trip

is leaving to reach a specified destination, more formal than casual leaving
to set out
vsto depart for
66 2.4

To begin a journey to go to another place

is leaving specifically to reach a named destination
to set off
vsto depart for
57 2.4

To begin a journey toward a place

is leaving to go to a specified destination, not just starting movement
to set forth
vsto depart for
3 3.9

To begin a journey to a place

is leaving with a specified destination rather than vague travel

Antonyms

to arrive at
320 2.1

Reach a place, for example a station, or come to a decision after thinking

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

How Far

to journey
40 2.6
to depart for
14 2.5
to set off
57 2.4
to step out
234 2.3

Surface Forms

depart for infinitive
departed for past
departed for past participle
departing for present participle
departs for third person singular

Morphology

depart + for

The sense 'to leave in order to go to a specified destination' is directly compositional: 'depart' means to leave and the preposition 'for' marks the destination, so the overall meaning follows naturally from the constituents. This verb + preposition pattern is common in English and has clear cross-linguistic equivalents, so an average B1 learner who knows the words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase depart for creates a simple picture: depart means 'to leave' and for shows the place you are going, so it means 'to leave a place to go to a specific destination'.