divert/distract attention
idiom
: to try to keep people from noticing or thinking about something
He was trying to divert/distract attention away from his friend's mistake.
Examples of divert/distract attention in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Schumer torched both Trump and the continuing resolution (CR) in an NYT op-ed explaining his decision but argued that Trump would only seize more power in a shutdown and distract attention from the policy failures that are hurting his popularity.
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Dave Lawler, Axios, 15 Mar. 2025
Right about then, the Academy solons were probably wishing for something, anything, to distract attention from the Disney imbroglio.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Three men staged a seizure to divert attention and steal a pair of the puppies — valued at over $8,000 — from Perfect Pets in Centennial, Colorado, a city about 14 miles south of downtown Denver, on Friday.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2025
Some prisoners’ rights advocates have accused the striking officers of trying to distract attention from their colleagues’ role in Mr. Brooks’s death.
—Jay Root, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divert/distract attention
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Dave Lawler, Axios, 15 Mar. 2025
Right about then, the Academy solons were probably wishing for something, anything, to distract attention from the Disney imbroglio.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Three men staged a seizure to divert attention and steal a pair of the puppies — valued at over $8,000 — from Perfect Pets in Centennial, Colorado, a city about 14 miles south of downtown Denver, on Friday.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2025
Some prisoners’ rights advocates have accused the striking officers of trying to distract attention from their colleagues’ role in Mr. Brooks’s death.
—Jay Root, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divert/distract attention
Cite this Entry
“Divert/distract attention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divert%2Fdistract%20attention. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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