1
as in diverts
to draw the attention or mind to something else
we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disturbs
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
distracted by the looming tax deadline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distracts
But Antonio distracts him by accusing him in the town square of sending Justina off to El Alcazar and poisoning his son.
—
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 12 Oct. 2025
And when our American players have to control the crowd, that distracts them from playing.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
This might mean dropping a product line that’s profitable but distracts from your core business, or saying no to a good opportunity that isn’t aligned with your growth strategy.
—Minna Hu, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
And best of all, the mirror distracts guests from registering that there’s a coat hanger hiding ‘round back.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2025
Blaming organizations that monitor extremism distracts from the urgent work of addressing the conditions that allow hate and violence to grow.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
But Democratic leaders said the plan distracts from more urgent legislative priorities and is unlikely to move forward.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In the New York Times, Schmidt—yes that same guy who was talking up AGI in April—urged Silicon Valley to stop fixating on superhuman AI, warning that the obsession distracts from building useful technology.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 12 Oct. 2025
And when our American players have to control the crowd, that distracts them from playing.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
This might mean dropping a product line that’s profitable but distracts from your core business, or saying no to a good opportunity that isn’t aligned with your growth strategy.
—Minna Hu, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
And best of all, the mirror distracts guests from registering that there’s a coat hanger hiding ‘round back.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2025
Blaming organizations that monitor extremism distracts from the urgent work of addressing the conditions that allow hate and violence to grow.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
But Democratic leaders said the plan distracts from more urgent legislative priorities and is unlikely to move forward.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In the New York Times, Schmidt—yes that same guy who was talking up AGI in April—urged Silicon Valley to stop fixating on superhuman AI, warning that the obsession distracts from building useful technology.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracts
Verb
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Pureval said the move won't affect a city program that diverts nonviolent calls to mental health teams.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Oct. 2025
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The 42-mile long canal runs from Boise through Nampa and diverts 240 million gallons a day, according to the district.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.—
Jennifer Walker,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That’s what bothers me about it.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
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Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the short term, Jaime also worries that some workers may have no choice but to leave their children in less-than-ideal settings to keep working – like with an adult in the community who's informally looking after many of the children who would otherwise be in Head Start.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
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Lyman also worries that money spent of fusion could siphon dollars from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And nothing angers the Survivor gods more than reality TV hubris.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
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Kirk assassination angers and unsettles leaders, residents The assassination of Kirk, which happened in front of hundreds of people and was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has in particular rattled the nation and drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum.—
Mark Vancleave,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The result is slower, more volatile law-making — the kind of regulatory instability that unsettles investors.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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No humor benefits from being seen among other people so much as the kind that throws or unsettles you — a tension that is resolved, gloriously, when the audience collectively gives in and decides to roar with laughter.—
Robert Rubsam,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Sportico has detailed, many of these cases have come up short, including because courts have found the VPPA concerns information that would be decipherable to an ordinary person—like a list of videos someone watched—whereas interpretation of cookies requires technology and expertise.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Proposition 50 is on the ballot in California, which concerns the Democrats’ proposed redistricting map.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But what alarms him most is the silence from the business community.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
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While Cherry is more versed at keeping her rage simmering just below the surface, Laura struggles to hide her anguish and disgust, which alarms those closest to her.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distracts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracts. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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