DEPART Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'depart' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of depart are deviate , digress , diverge , swerve , and veer . While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type. // occasionally departs from his own guidelines

Q: Where would 'deviate' be a reasonable alternative to 'depart'?

The synonyms deviate and depart are sometimes interchangeable, but deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course. // never deviated from her daily routine

Q: When could 'digress' be used to replace 'depart'?

While the synonyms digress and depart are close in meaning, digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse. // a professor prone to digress

Q: How do 'diverge' and 'depart' relate to one another?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions. // after school their paths diverged

Q: When is it sensible to use 'swerve' instead of 'depart'?

The meanings of swerve and depart largely overlap; however, swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness. // swerved to avoid hitting the dog

Q: When can 'veer' be used instead of 'depart'?

The words veer and depart are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, veer implies a major change in direction. // at that point the path veers to the right

depart

verb

di-ˈpärt

Definition of depart

as in to exit

to leave a place often for another I'll sing one more song before I depart

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to die

to stop living a special tribute for those members of the motion picture academy who have departed over the past year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb depart contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of depart are deviate, digress, diverge, swerve, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

Where would deviate be a reasonable alternative to depart?

The synonyms deviate and depart are sometimes interchangeable, but deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

When could digress be used to replace depart?

While the synonyms digress and depart are close in meaning, digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

How do diverge and depart relate to one another?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

When is it sensible to use swerve instead of depart?

The meanings of swerve and depart largely overlap; however, swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

When can veer be used instead of depart?

The words veer and depart are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

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 depart The list of departures is topped by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and deputy chief of staff James Blair, who departed in April. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Colleges put limits on the right of students and teachers to express points of view that departed from this new apparent consensus. — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 Sowah heads overseas Valkyries developmental player Miela Sowah will join Team Australia in the World Cup next week, becoming the fourth Valkyries player to depart for the tournament. — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026 The incident occurred as Envoy Air flight 3742, an Embraer E-170 headed to Pensacola, Florida, departed Reagan National Airport. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for depart

Recent Examples of Synonyms for depart

Verb

After exiting brick-and-mortar retail at Ulta seven years ago, Laura Geller is doubling back — and this time, wants to do it right.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026
Drivers headed east can exit at Northwest 17th Avenue, continue south across Northwest Seventh Street and turn left at Southwest First Street.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of exit

Verb

Last month, the family of Christopher Hawley, who died after a ride in 2022, reached a settlement with the park and with ride manufacturer S&S Worldwide Inc, said KTLA.

— Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Knight was wounded but survived the attack, while Shakur was struck multiple times and died six days later at age 25.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of die

Verb

The Minot operation took that work a step further by moving an entire system for refurbishment.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Over the course of Exile, TV Rain’s studios as well as its various employees will be forced to move countries multiple times, everybody’s life and career atomized across the globe.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of move

Verb

Even near the end of an August in which the Jays went 17-11, the team posted a near-average wRC+ (101 entering Sunday).

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
In fact, the breakeven rate of employment growth, or the number of net new jobs needed each month to keep the unemployment rate steady, actually went slightly negative during the summer and fall of 2025.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of go

Verb

The share of mid-cap companies in that has increased to 20% from 14% while that of 100 large-cap companies has fallen from 78% to 72%, the report showed.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
The company says its reactor’s electrical output falls within the range of a high-performance vehicle drivetrain.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of fall

Verb

When the earnings release first hit the tape, the stock initially moved higher by a couple of percentage points, only to reverse course before the conference call even got underway.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
But then Sandy stops by for a friendly chat, and his daughter Nina (Zosia Mamet, ice-cold and slightly underused) gets serious.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of get

Verb

The Liberty’s deficit stayed in double figures while succumbing to the pressure of Golden State’s small lineups.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Wolf succumbs to Shura, a demonic force in the game’s mythology that possesses those who give in to bloodlust.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of succumb

Browse Nearby Words

deodorizing

depart

departed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depart. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of depart

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes