divert/distract attention
idiom
: to try to keep people from noticing or thinking about something
He was trying to divert/distract attention away from his friend's mistake.
Examples of divert/distract attention in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Promotion growing crowds Saudi investment in football invariably brings with it allegations that the Gulf state is engaged in ‘sportswashing’: using the game to enhance its global image and divert attention from concerns about issues like its human rights record.
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Phil Hay, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Experts advise using a loud noise, sudden movement or toy to divert attention and safely interrupt a fight, while placing a solid object such as a piece of cardboard or couch cushion between cats can help separate them safely.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
As spokesman Mike Marinella frames it, the NRCC encourages lawmakers to meet with their constituents in public, but to be wary of events that could divert attention from a House member’s message and agenda.
—Steve Peoples and Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
There are encouraging signs in the meetings that Vahtras says technology executives in the country have been organizing between those in the public and private sectors in an effort to divert attention towards security.
—Roger Trapp, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divert/distract attention
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Phil Hay, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Experts advise using a loud noise, sudden movement or toy to divert attention and safely interrupt a fight, while placing a solid object such as a piece of cardboard or couch cushion between cats can help separate them safely.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
As spokesman Mike Marinella frames it, the NRCC encourages lawmakers to meet with their constituents in public, but to be wary of events that could divert attention from a House member’s message and agenda.
—Steve Peoples and Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
There are encouraging signs in the meetings that Vahtras says technology executives in the country have been organizing between those in the public and private sectors in an effort to divert attention towards security.
—Roger Trapp, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divert/distract attention
Cite this Entry
“Divert/distract attention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divert%2Fdistract%20attention. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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