diverged; diverging
1
a
: to move or extend in different directions from a common point : draw apart
diverging roads
b
: to become or be different in character or form
The friends' lives diverged after graduation.
: differ in opinion
This is where our views diverge.
2
: to turn aside from a path or course : deviate
diverge from a direct path
3
mathematics
: to be divergent (see divergent sense 2)
: deflect
diverge a compass needle
Synonyms
Examples of diverge in a Sentence
A prism causes rays of light to diverge.
They were close friends in college, but after graduation, their lives diverged.
Recent Examples on the Web
But if customers keep flocking to Copilot and the prospects for Gemini and Google search don’t grow more clear, the trendlines soon could diverge.
—
Paresh Dave, WIRED, 26 Apr. 2024
Of course, their views on economics would diverge greatly in years to come.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Apr. 2024
But those causes soon diverged, as scientists and upper-crust sportsmen came to dominate conservation and largely squeezed out the lay crusaders who had launched welfarism.
—Ben Goldfarb, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
Among workers whose companies shuttered between 2010 and 2017 (a group Moretti had been tracking), their fates diverged based on their location.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Billionaire Elon Musk sued OpenAI for diverging from its original nonprofit mission.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Based on their genetic analyses, Morin and his team estimate that transients diverged from other orcas between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, while residents began to split off about 100,000 years ago.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Notably, students found the math section more challenging than anticipated, diverging from their experiences with practice exams.
—Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
In the final pages, though, their decisions diverge, as if to acknowledge the inevitable gap between author and fictional creation.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
Paresh Dave, WIRED, 26 Apr. 2024
Of course, their views on economics would diverge greatly in years to come.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Apr. 2024
But those causes soon diverged, as scientists and upper-crust sportsmen came to dominate conservation and largely squeezed out the lay crusaders who had launched welfarism.
—Ben Goldfarb, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
Among workers whose companies shuttered between 2010 and 2017 (a group Moretti had been tracking), their fates diverged based on their location.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Billionaire Elon Musk sued OpenAI for diverging from its original nonprofit mission.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Based on their genetic analyses, Morin and his team estimate that transients diverged from other orcas between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, while residents began to split off about 100,000 years ago.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Notably, students found the math section more challenging than anticipated, diverging from their experiences with practice exams.
—Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
In the final pages, though, their decisions diverge, as if to acknowledge the inevitable gap between author and fictional creation.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diverge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near diverge
Cite this Entry
“Diverge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverge. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
diverge
verb
di·verge
də-ˈvərj 
dī-
diverged; diverging
: to move or extend in different directions from a common point : draw apart
diverging rays of light
two roads diverged
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