deviate
verb (used without object)
to turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.
had deviated
-
past perfectof deviate.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tusk said Polish air defence would have shot down the missile if it had deviated from its trajectory and headed toward populated areas.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Flight MH370 lost contact with air traffic control less than an hour after take-off on 8 March 2014, and radar showed it had deviated from its original flight path.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025
In September, while on tour in Uzbekistan, he performed a dance in military uniform for fallen Russian soldiers, earning a reprimand from Uzbek authorities, who said he had deviated from an agreed programme.
From Reuters ● Dec. 30, 2022
Then a teaching assistant had deviated slightly from their usual goodbye routine.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2022
The passenger jet had left Seoul earlier that day, bound for Anchorage, Alaska, and had deviated off course into Soviet airspace.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
