The little restaurant is worth a detour

detour
1 of 2
noun
de·;tour ;d;-;tu;r  also di-;tu;r
Synonyms of detour

Simple Definition
A Simple Definition is available from our Learner's Dictionary to help you understand the meaning faster.
: a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure
especially : a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route
detour

2 of 2
verb
detoured; detouring; detours
intransitive verb

: to proceed by a detour
detour around road construction
transitive verb

1
: to send by a circuitous route
detour traffic around an accident
2
: to avoid by going around : bypass
detour an accident site

Synonyms of detour
Relevance
Noun

deviation
departure
Verb

bypass
circumvent
avoid
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Somali pirates are profiting from the war in Iran as commercial ships, bypassing conflict routes through lengthy detours around Africa, sail into their strike zone.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
India is taking a better path to the electrotech future without the fossil fuel detour.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Verb
To avoid it, carriers are having to detour around Africa’s southern tip, extending travel times by weeks and pushing maritime traffic directly into the volatile Somali basin.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
All eastbound trips near the intersection were detouring as delays were expected, and students at Golden Valley and Bowman high schools were moved to different pick-up points.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

Word History
Etymology
Noun

French d;tour, from Old French destor, from destorner to divert, from des- de- + torner to turn — more at turn

First Known Use
Noun

1738, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of detour was in 1738
See more words from the same year