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
So, excited headlines about a blossoming romance between them certainly creates a narrative that distracts from all the negative news each has grappled with recently.
—
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
The constantly shifting allegiances are meant to form a twisty yarn in the aggregate, though the effect is largely just confusing — especially when Helen gets a subplot investigating her own past that distracts from her role as the chilly, withholding boss.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 26 Oct. 2025
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
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
The constantly shifting allegiances are meant to form a twisty yarn in the aggregate, though the effect is largely just confusing — especially when Helen gets a subplot investigating her own past that distracts from her role as the chilly, withholding boss.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 26 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracts
Verb
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These tissues regenerate constantly, so when protein is scarce, your body diverts amino acids away from these aesthetic functions toward more critical ones, like maintaining organ health and immunity.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Time,
18 Dec. 2025
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O’Neill directs the steamroller of tragedy right at the characters and then — atypically, delightfully — diverts it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 Dec. 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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What about him specifically bothers you especially in terms of poisoning the youth?—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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Really, the accuracy is the one thing that bothers me with him.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Which is another thing that worries him.—
Joel Stein,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Stewart worries that the listings risk running afoul of copyright on product photos, or of agreements with her own suppliers — themselves mostly independent brands — that prohibit reselling products on Amazon.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
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And nothing angers the Survivor gods more than reality TV hubris.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 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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The parties believe the case, which concerns CEQA requirements at the community plan level, creates more legal ambiguity for municipalities and poses a statewide threat to housing development.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
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My question concerns the e-card version of this.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 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 10 Jan. 2026.
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