distraction

Definition of distractionnext
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as in entertainment
the act or activity of providing pleasure or amusement especially for the public the founder of a recovery program who doesn't view gambling as a harmless distraction for people of modest means

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 distraction Educators and school leaders have told Oklahoma Voice the policy has had a positive impact by removing a major distraction and that families have been willing to comply because of the equal implementation statewide. Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice, 20 Jan. 2026 Beck, by his own admission, has not had many distractions off the field. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026 Armstrong alleges the investigation into him is a distraction and is disrespectful to Dee Dee’s family. Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026 Outcomes, wins and losses, records and rankings are distractions. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for distraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distraction
Noun
  • Multiple helpers can slow response during urgent scams and create confusion when fast decisions matter.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
  • The category confusion continued this year.
    Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Travelers not seeking football frenzy should avoid the fall, when hotel and airfare prices skyrocket and crowds are large.
    Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
  • January was set to host a free-agent frenzy, with most league veterans aligning their contracts to expire in advance of the new CBA.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Spoken word poetry rooted in traditions of oral entertainment is also alive and well in Hasidic communities, performed by Yiddish rhymesters of all ages.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The mental health diversion program covers 300 disorders, ranging from anxiety to neurological conditions.
    Tori Apodaca, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
  • According to the Chronicle, Luchin’s public defender is now seeking a mental health diversion to provide substance abuse treatment.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Investigators noted that fog was present in the area at the time of the collision.
    Richard Ramos, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Kibbutz Nir Oz, an Israeli settlement near the Gaza border, had the highest number of casualties in the Hamas attacks, with a quarter of its residents either kidnapped or killed during the Palestinian militant group’s rampage through southern Israel.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
  • And where there’s no constitutional counterforce, as with the pardon power, there’s just a rampage of corruption.
    Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Even as his Reddit-haunting admirers still parse his lyrics for hidden meanings, his spirit surely looks down on them with wry amusement at his fans’ unending search for profundity.
    Alexander Larman, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Unidentified plainclothes dudes then dragged her out of the high school auditorium while other Idahoans watched — some in amusement, others not so much.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • As the last rusty leaves fell from the trees in the parks and historic piazzas, the birds swooped down, rummaging and pecking and shaking their feathers, then flew off again with quivers of delight.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Nailing Hollywood artist Hang Nguyen is responsible for this celestial delight.
    Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Distraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distraction. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.

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