divert/distract attention

phrase

: to try to keep people from noticing or thinking about something
He was trying to divert/distract attention away from his friend's mistake.

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“Divert/distract attention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divert%2Fdistract%20attention. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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