deviate by

USAGE SUMMARY

"deviate by" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It means to stray or diverge from a expected or planned course or direction by a certain amount or distance. Example: The company's profits deviated by 10% from their projected numbers. In this sentence, the verb "deviate" is followed by the preposition "by" and the phrase "10%", indicating the amount or degree of the deviation. This construction is commonly used when discussing changes or differences in measurements, quantities, or values.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Expression levels of over half the genes deviate by more than 2 standard deviations.

Plosone

Their predicted values deviate by just 0.004 Å from the experimental ones.

Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM

The experimental results deviate by about 1% from existing data reported in the academic literature.

Geothermics

The experimental results deviate by 1.5 23% from the theoretical predictions.

Applied Energy

In 1967, in the same Congress that passed §2c, the House passed a bill permitting congressional districts to deviate by as much as 10%.

Cornell University

As Justice Stevens points out, after Wesberry, the House passed a bill in 1965 permitting congressional districts to deviate by as much as 15%.

Cornell University

At stoichiometric conditions, the asymptotic and averaged DNS values of flame displacement speed deviate by a factor of 1.7.

Combustion and Flame

A standing 1982 integration order by the Federal Office of Civil Rights requires that the racial makeup of the teaching staff of any single school not deviate by more than 15percentt from the borough-wide average.

The New York Times

These values were then corrected through division by the median of all values obtained for chromosomes that had an average sequencing depth that did not deviate by >20% from the average sequencing depth of the whole genome.

Nature

The pH of the PCNA samples was measured at the beginning and at the end of the titrations inside the NMR tubes and found to deviate by <0.1 units.

Nature

This difference dominates the non-dimensional vorticity term, showing that impinging jet results deviate by at least 56% from the cooling source results, at times when all other scaling parameter differences are minimized.

Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "deviate by", ensure you clearly state what the deviation is from. This provides context and avoids ambiguity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid stating only the amount of deviation without specifying what the deviation is from. Always include the baseline or expected value for clarity. For example, instead of "The results deviate by 5%", write "The results deviate by 5% from the predicted value".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "deviate by" functions as a verb phrase, specifically indicating the extent of difference or variation from a particular value, standard, or expectation. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

68%

News & Media

16%

Academia

7%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Science & Research

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "deviate by" is a grammatically correct and widely used expression to quantify the difference between a value and a reference point. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is common in scientific, academic, and news contexts. When using "deviate by", always specify what the deviation is from to ensure clarity. Alternative phrases like "differ by" or "vary by" can be used, but "deviate by" is especially useful when you wish to stress that there's a discrepancy from an expected outcome.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

differ by

This alternative is a more general term for indicating a difference, without necessarily implying a standard or expected value.

vary by

Similar to 'differ by', this suggests a range or fluctuation, rather than a fixed deviation from a norm.

differ in magnitude by

This alternative specifies that the difference is in terms of size or amount, emphasizing the quantitative aspect.

change by

This alternative emphasizes the act of changing from a previous state, with 'by' indicating the amount of change.

fluctuate by

Suggests an irregular rising and falling in number or amount, indicating a range around a central value.

range from

Focuses on defining a lower and upper limit of variation around a mean.

shift by

Indicates a movement or displacement from an initial point or level.

part from by

This alternative indicates a separation or departure by a particular margin or degree.

separate by

Implies that there is a distinction, with the measure of how much the two elements are not connected.

diverge from by

Focuses on the process of moving in different directions by a specific margin.

FAQs

How can I use "deviate by" in a sentence?

Use "deviate by" to indicate the extent to which something differs from a standard or expected value. For instance, "The experimental results "deviate by" 10% from the theoretical predictions".

What is a good alternative to "deviate by"?

Alternatives include "differ by", "vary by", or "differ in magnitude by", each offering a slightly different nuance depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "deviate from" instead of "deviate by"?

"Deviate from" indicates a departure from a norm or standard, while "deviate by" specifies the amount of that deviation. They are related but not interchangeable. Use "deviate from" when describing the act of diverging, and "deviate by" when quantifying the difference.

How do I express a range of deviation using "deviate by"?

You can express a range by stating the maximum and minimum deviations. For example, "The measurements "deviate by" ±5% from the average", indicating a range of 5% above and below the average.