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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of divert
That type of financing essentially diverts the growth in taxes that comes after redevelopment so it can be invested in ways that support the project.
—
Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025
Sandlin added that streets are designed to handle floodwater and divert it, almost like a drain.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
According to local outlet The Daily Herald, a Delta Airlines and JetBlue flight were forced to divert to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
And diverting and redirecting waste from landfills, whether through recycling or reusing, boosts crew morale on film sets.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divert
Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025
Sandlin added that streets are designed to handle floodwater and divert it, almost like a drain.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
According to local outlet The Daily Herald, a Delta Airlines and JetBlue flight were forced to divert to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
And diverting and redirecting waste from landfills, whether through recycling or reusing, boosts crew morale on film sets.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divert
Verb
-
TikTok users were quick to react to the unexpected footage, with many amused by the cat's calm and independent demeanor.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Garfield was visibly amused and turned in his seat, physically and metaphorically giving his costars the floor to answer, while Roberts and Edebiri gave Polidoro confused glances.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nolthenius hopes that more astronomers – professionals and amateurs – will turn their eyes to the skies to observe Quaoar's occultations.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In less than six hours, the protest turned violent when police used water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets and then gunfire, killing at least 19 people including children and injuring hundreds of others.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But one way to distract and soothe your temperamental toddler might be through music.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
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
Verb
-
But Lecornu has run into some controversy in the past for entertaining far-right leader Marine Le Pen at a secret dinner to discuss Ukraine last year.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Alongside the rise of YouTube Golf, a number of entertaining golf podcasts now exist — so this threesome has their work cut out for them.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For a locker room that’s been through a lot because the front office swung and missed on the worst quarterback trade in NFL history.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Appel also regaled the audience with his strategy that resulted in Springsteen getting on the cover of both Time and Newsweek.—
Caryn Rose,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The 21-time PGA Tour winner engaged a small group on a practice green, going over technique, drills and flatstick psychology while also regaling them with stories about golf greats—like how keeping an eye on the hole helped Beth Daniel transform her putting game.—
Mike Dojc,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This can be a pre-emptive measure to deflect criticism of the relationship.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Tart remained in the game and came up with two big plays, deflecting a pair of passes by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — including one on a two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game 20-20.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Regardless of a user’s age, the company says its chatbots will attempt to redirect the most distressing conversations to more capable AI models that can provide a better response.—
Barbara Ortutay,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Efforts are being redirected towards alternatives that are a healthy blend of traditional and modern medicine, with a special focus on an individual’s body and its reaction to treatment.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Divert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divert. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share