misdirection

noun

mis·​di·​rec·​tion ˌmis-də-ˈrek-shən 

-(ˌ)dī-

1

: a wrong direction

2

a

: the act or an instance of misdirecting or diverting

b

: the state of being misdirected

Examples of misdirection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But that proves to be a bit of crafty misdirection. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025

One of them is a nerve-racking, crosscutting game of misdirection and accumulating danger atop a balance beam. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 19 May 2025

As judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers writes that finance VP Alex Roman’s testimony was ‘replete with misdirection and outright lies’ on the question of ‘when’ Apple decided to impose a 27% commission on outbound transactions. —Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025

And so the setup for this perfect moment, for Soto to come through and the Mets to pull out a win, proved to be misdirection. —Tim Britton, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misdirection

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• disinfection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection