divert

verb

di·vert | \ də-ˈvərt

, dī-\

diverted; diverting; diverts

Definition of divert

intransitive verb

: to turn aside : deviate studied law but diverted to diplomacy

transitive verb

1a : to turn from one course or use to another : deflect divert traffic to a side street diverting funds to other projects

b : distract trying to divert her attention

2 : to give pleasure to especially by distracting the attention from what burdens or distresses children diverting themselves with their toys

Other Words from divert Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about divert

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Choose the Right Synonym for divert

amuse, divert, entertain mean to pass or cause to pass the time pleasantly. amuse suggests that one's attention is engaged lightly. amuse yourselves while I make dinner divert implies distracting attention from worry or routine occupation especially by something funny. a light comedy to divert the tired businessman entertain suggests supplying amusement by specially contrived methods. a magician entertaining children at a party

Examples of divert in a Sentence

Police diverted traffic to a side street. The stream was diverted toward the farmland. They were charged with illegally diverting public funds for private use. He lied to divert attention from the real situation. They're only proposing the law to divert attention from important issues.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, diverting more LNG cargoes to Europe risks pushing down prices there as well. — Paul Page, WSJ, "Today’s Logistics Report: Sold on Tankers; Amazon’s Third-Party Gains; Robots Getting Stuck," 12 Apr. 2019 His use of the protesters’ slogan appeared to be aimed at diverting the recent criticism of his group. — Fares Akram, The Seattle Times, "Rockets from Gaza Strip hit Israel; 4 die at border protest," 31 Mar. 2019 Increased recycling and composting means more refuse gets diverted elsewhere. — David Gutman, The Seattle Times, "King County’s landfill has been almost full for two decades. What happens next?," 26 Mar. 2019 The movies that sure seem like they should be considered romantic comedies, but that divert in some critical ways. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "Quiz: Are These Popular Movies Technically Romantic Comedies?," 11 Feb. 2019 Most commonly, the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is abused to divert gigabytes, or possibly even petabytes, of high-value traffic to ISPs inside Russia or China, sometimes for years at a time, so that the data can be analyzed or manipulated. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "How 3ve’s BGP hijackers eluded the Internet—and made $29M," 21 Dec. 2018 But many say this headline-grabbing, top-down strategy has worsened every aspect of the security problem, diverting resources from local police, fragmenting gangs and making local governments less accountable. — Ciara Nugent, Time, "Mexico Is Suffering Its Bloodiest Year in Modern History. Here's Why," 28 June 2018 However, Zubrin and other critics view the Gateway as a cul-de-sac that would divert billions of dollars in funding and steal a decade or more in time from landing on the surface of another world. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "NASA says it’s building a gateway to the Moon—critics say it’s just a gate," 6 Sep. 2018 To stare at an iPhone in front of a partner is to partake in some form of infidelity, whereby your attention is diverted from your loved one and redirected at hundreds of acquaintances and strangers. — Carrie Battan, Harper's BAZAAR, "Escaping the Seduction of Your Smartphone," 26 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'divert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.