1
as in to amuse
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied
a light comedy to divert the tired business executive
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to turn
to change the course or direction of (something)
the bike race was diverted around the construction zone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of divert
The following year, Russia continued to make incremental gains while Ukraine’s cross‑border incursion into the Kursk region failed to divert Russian forces for long.
—
Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Emily Hilliard, an HHS spokesperson, did not answer questions about strategies to divert attention away from Kennedy’s anti-vaccine efforts.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
The returns would be limited by the cost of borrowing, according to Munnell, and would divert Congress’ attention from addressing the imbalance between Social Security’s trust fund reserves and benefit payments.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
LaGuardia was temporarily shut down as air traffic was diverted for much of Monday.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for divert
Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Emily Hilliard, an HHS spokesperson, did not answer questions about strategies to divert attention away from Kennedy’s anti-vaccine efforts.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
The returns would be limited by the cost of borrowing, according to Munnell, and would divert Congress’ attention from addressing the imbalance between Social Security’s trust fund reserves and benefit payments.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
LaGuardia was temporarily shut down as air traffic was diverted for much of Monday.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for divert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divert
Verb
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Social media reactions to the bunny range from enamored to amused to annoyed at the price tag, which runs from $112 to $140.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
22 Mar. 2026
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Is she amused or angered or saddened by this?—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Originally presented as a technical overhaul of the justice system, the reform has sharpened political divisions and unified the center‑left opposition, turning the referendum into a symbolic showdown on Meloni's strength one year ahead of national elections.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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One person was hospitalized and five other people were injured when a bar fight turned into a stabbing in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, according to firefighters.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Its glare-free screen also helps keep reflections away so you won't be distracted.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
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There are so many women that are underestimated, so many women that present themselves in ways that people can find distracting or make assumptions about because of it.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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View Outside’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Fans are entitled to want to be entertained, and to be frustrated that the European campaign has been a struggle, as well as by the problems Palace have endured when confronted by 10 men on several occasions of late.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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My dad glanced behind us once to see if we were being followed, winked at me in the rearview mirror, and then swung our car toward Interstate 80, headed west.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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Then the pendulum swung and strength training came into vogue in the ’90s and 2000s as more research emerged suggesting that lifting could help improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis, Petrzela says.—
Caitlin Carlson,
SELF,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nash’s Santa Clara teams had that under coach Dick Davey, whose lessons in mental toughness were regaled in Nash’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement speech.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Boisterous and welcoming, Georgia regaled us with tales from Gary’s childhood, but a concern for her son’s present state lurked not far beneath the surface.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has sought to deflect public concerns about AI, inviting major technology companies to the White House earlier this month to commit to developing their own power generation.—
Matthew Daly,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
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Top officials always deflected questions about whether regime change was a goal, focusing instead on the military objectives that the administration outlined.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Even a temporary pause on discretionary spending can free up cash to redirect toward existing balances.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The current survey was conducted during the final three months of 2025, long before the Iran war that has sent oil and gas prices soaring and threatens to slow the economy as Americans redirect more of their dollars to filling gas tanks and away from other spending.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Divert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divert. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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