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
The Ukrainian government rejected the proposal immediately, calling it an attempt by Putin to divert attention from the summit in the Swiss mountains.
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Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2024
These ruses were successful enough that Hitler considered the Normandy invasion, as it was initiated, was actually a ploy to divert attention from Calais.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 6 June 2024
The indictment was upheld by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who shot down claims from the defense that prosecutors violated grand jury rules to divert attention from witnesses and exculpatory evidence.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
The judge rejected defense arguments that prosecutors flouted the rules of grand jury proceedings to divert attention away from exculpatory evidence and witnesses.
—CBS News, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for divert/distract attention 
Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2024
These ruses were successful enough that Hitler considered the Normandy invasion, as it was initiated, was actually a ploy to divert attention from Calais.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 6 June 2024
The indictment was upheld by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who shot down claims from the defense that prosecutors violated grand jury rules to divert attention from witnesses and exculpatory evidence.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
The judge rejected defense arguments that prosecutors flouted the rules of grand jury proceedings to divert attention away from exculpatory evidence and witnesses.
—CBS News, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for divert/distract attention
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'divert/distract attention.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Divert/distract attention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divert%2Fdistract%20attention. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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