Synonym Chooser

How is the word divert different from other verbs like it?

The words amuse and entertain are common synonyms of divert. While all three words mean "to pass or cause to pass the time pleasantly," divert implies distracting attention from worry or routine occupation especially by something funny.

a light comedy to divert the tired businessman

In what contexts can amuse take the place of divert?

The meanings of amuse and divert largely overlap; however, amuse suggests that one's attention is engaged lightly.

amuse yourselves while I make dinner

When would entertain be a good substitute for divert?

Although the words entertain and divert have much in common, entertain suggests supplying amusement by specially contrived methods.

a magician entertaining children at a party

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 divert National carrier Brussels Airlines said 15 outbound flights were unable to take off, while eight incoming flights were diverted to other airports. Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025 Democrats, loath to divert focus from their midterm campaign trail, insist their plans for a possible House majority remain nebulous. Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025 With much of the world horrified by the USSR’s brutality, Eisenhower was furious that the British-French-Israeli offensive was both diverting international attention and handing Moscow a PR victory by enabling it to speak about Western aggression in the Middle East. Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025 All northbound lanes were shut down and traffic was diverted onto Bird Road as the investigation continued. Hunter Geisel, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for divert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divert
Verb
  • The Special Olympics are not amused after Kid Rock used an ableist slur while making a joke in a recent Fox News interview.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The footage left internet viewers both amused and confused.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Yuileta Lopez, a teen growing up in Texas, decides to turn her anger and outrage into activism.
    Amber McBride, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The surge in demand is already driving up energy prices and fueling political backlash as sprawling data centers turn into election-season flashpoints in the communities where they are being constructed.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Moreover, 14% of more than 1,000 respondents said at least one accident had occurred at their workplace because an employee was distracted by a smartphone—often resulting in injury or damage to property.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Critics said the milestones are too weak, and that Musk is distracted by side ventures.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Elsewhere, the main living area, featuring one of over four fireplaces throughout the hilltop retreat, provides the perfect setting for entertaining.
    Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Since then, fans from around the country have followed the Cowboy fans’ lead to entertain themselves in the waning stages of blowouts.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The election will be a test of whether Mamdani, and his focus on lowering the cost of living, can bring back nonwhite voters who swung to the right.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
  • When the Ferris wheel goes, the cars are supposed to swing with it, but it got stuck.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • His father, a veteran of World War II, was a burial vault salesman and would often take Fitzpatrick with him on business trips, regaling him with tales of the city.
    News Desk, Artforum, 23 Oct. 2025
  • But his film career began in earnest with 2020's Scare Me, a stylish comedy about writers regaling each story with spooky tales in an isolated cabin during a power outage.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One idea suggests that the electron-positron pairs are deflected by weak intergalactic magnetic fields and that this bounces low-energy gamma-rays out of our line of sight.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Weak intergalactic magnetic fields are deflecting the pairs and steering the resulting GeV rays away from Earth.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • If you're redirected to a CAPTCHA on an unfamiliar site or after clicking a suspicious link, stop immediately.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • These practices help to declutter my mind and redirect my neural traffic.
    Essence, Essence, 7 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Divert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divert. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on divert

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!