TANGENT Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

tangent 1 of 2

noun

ˈtan-jənt

Definition of tangent

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

tangent

2 of 2

adjective

as in tangential

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 tangent

Noun

It’s been a while since Tony Vitello went on an unprompted tangent during a pregame session with San Francisco Giants reporters. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 In contrast to this, in regions dominated by shock waves, magnetic fields are orientated at tangents. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 July 2026

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

Periodically, Li injects her narrative with commentary set off in long parenthetical asides.

— Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
Pope Leo revealed the discovery of the growth on his lung during his Sunday noon prayer — which was broadcast to the world on live television — almost as an aside toward the end of his blessing.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of aside

Noun

And the plot careens from one incident to the next, sometimes landing on a random sight gag or odd digression.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
The result is a strange, bewitching experiment in autobiography, in which there are no friendships or love affairs, just exquisite digressions on life-changing texts.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of digression

Adjective

But then the story stalls, zeroes in on some incidental detail, and collapses into a mode of reflection that is circular and recursive.

— Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
That’s called an incidental finding, leading doctors to investigate well before symptoms develop and possibly early enough that the cancer remains small and hasn’t spread.

— Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of incidental

Browse Nearby Words

tanged

tangent

tangential

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangent. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tangent

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tangent

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes