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
As the war with Iran began over the weekend, many airlines diverted flights to airports away from the violence.
—
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
According to a client advisory from Seko Logistics, remaining flights are diverting via Turkey or over the Arabian Sea, adding two-to-five hours per leg.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Mar. 2026
Energy infrastructure under attack threatens global supplies as shipping diverts from critical trade routes, potentially sparking economic shocks worldwide and reshaping energy markets.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
According to the log, all traffic from south I-805 would be diverted to southbound state Route 163.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for divert
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
According to a client advisory from Seko Logistics, remaining flights are diverting via Turkey or over the Arabian Sea, adding two-to-five hours per leg.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Mar. 2026
Energy infrastructure under attack threatens global supplies as shipping diverts from critical trade routes, potentially sparking economic shocks worldwide and reshaping energy markets.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
According to the log, all traffic from south I-805 would be diverted to southbound state Route 163.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for divert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divert
Verb
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Padilla breaks a few times, channeling Heidi Gardner, and the crowd gets amused.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Mar. 2026
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There were also stories about Reinsdorf not being amused by the wise-cracking or esoteric commentary by Benetti during play-by-play, as if baseball were a deadly serious sport that should be treated with more dignity.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mandel, who sells media rights to many of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, praised the company for focusing on storytelling and turning the streaming service into the home for tennis.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Eco effort Few & Far Luvhondo operates on solar power and is 100% zero waste, in part thanks to an army of black soldier flies that turn food scraps into fertilizer.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Here are Christian and Rick potentially alerting the game in a way never seen before in 50 seasons, and Devens is half-distracted the entire time dealing with a pesky Windsor knot.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
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The smooth black leather and wood-look rubber soles are perfect for elevating your office attire without distracting from the rest of your outfit.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, founded in South El Monte, rewrote the rules of music, becoming the first all-woman mariachi ensemble that has entertained for more than three decades.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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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,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Malkin turned around and swung his stick at Dahlin, hitting him in the neck and side of the head.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Experts think home prices are likely to remain sticky heading into spring and that mortgage rates might not swing much below 6%.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the indie film, Hawke transforms himself into the diminutive composer, who regales attendees at Sardi’s bar with anecdotes about his career highs in the theater and bemoans the loss of his former partnership with Richard Rodgers.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Feb. 2026
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The Olympics often regale themselves these days as a symbol of equality.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Canucks opened the scoring midway through the first period when Jake DeBrusk drove into the offensive zone, put a shot off Oettinger’s right pad and Evander Kane deflected the rebound in from the side of the net for his 11th goal of the season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The tour guide may have deflected my Phantom questions, but the opera house plays up just enough of the mystery.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a recent article for the People’s Daily, Duan, a professor at Xidian University, suggested that the high-frequency microwave beams used to transmit electricity could be redirected.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
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As missiles strike cities long assumed to be safe, sovereign wealth funds that have been pouring money into African renewable grids, ports, and startups may soon redirect toward immediate domestic priorities.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Divert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divert. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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