verb

divert

Translation

to divert, to redirect, to distract, to reroute

They had to divert traffic around the accident.

He tried to divert attention from his mistake.

The company diverted funds to a new project.

((sth.)) ((from sth.)) ((to sth.)) to redirect (sth.) from (sth.) to (sth.) We diverted the water from the stream to the field.

((sb.'s attention)) to distract (sb.'s attention) He diverted her attention while I hid the gift.

Synonyms: redirect, reroute, distract

From Latin 'divertere' (to turn aside), from 'di-' (apart) + 'vertere' (to turn).

'Di-' means 'apart' and 'vert' means 'turn'. To 'divert' something is to literally 'turn it apart' from its intended course.