1
as in amuses
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 turns
to change the course or direction of (something)
the bike race was diverted around the construction zone
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in distracts
to draw the attention or mind to something else
trying to divert the child with a toy while the doctor was giving her a shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of diverts
Pureval said the move won't affect a city program that diverts nonviolent calls to mental health teams.
—
David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
The 42-mile long canal runs from Boise through Nampa and diverts 240 million gallons a day, according to the district.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2025
The system captures and diverts roughly 95% of the sewage overflows in the city, or about five billion gallons a year.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
Transforming these bottles into supercapacitor components not only diverts waste from landfills but also provides sustainable, high-performance energy storage options.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
This invites empathy, diverts the conversation toward healing rather than fault-finding and helps both partners challenge the automatic assumption that blame is the only way to respond.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
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
Opponents say the program diverts money away from public schools in need of further investment.
—Lina Ruiz
september 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
Talk of bringing in the National Guard is less a solution than a distraction — a show of force that diverts attention away from the deeper investments communities need.
—Debra Gittler, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
The 42-mile long canal runs from Boise through Nampa and diverts 240 million gallons a day, according to the district.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2025
The system captures and diverts roughly 95% of the sewage overflows in the city, or about five billion gallons a year.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
Transforming these bottles into supercapacitor components not only diverts waste from landfills but also provides sustainable, high-performance energy storage options.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
This invites empathy, diverts the conversation toward healing rather than fault-finding and helps both partners challenge the automatic assumption that blame is the only way to respond.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
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
Opponents say the program diverts money away from public schools in need of further investment.
—Lina Ruiz
september 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
Talk of bringing in the National Guard is less a solution than a distraction — a show of force that diverts attention away from the deeper investments communities need.
—Debra Gittler, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diverts
Verb
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Zoë has been Artemis' right-hand warrior for more than 2,000 years, giving her a more serious nature that amuses modern demigods.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Estonia also provides paid parental leave/benefit that can be used until a child turns three.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
To spot the exact moment water turns into exotic ice, scientists used powerful X-ray beams at a synchrotron.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Antonio distracts him by accusing him in the town square of sending Justina off to El Alcazar and poisoning his son.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
12 Oct. 2025
-
And when our American players have to control the crowd, that distracts them from playing.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The media entertains these questions, in an effort to intellectualize the ideologies underpinning the cult’s bloodlust.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Oct. 2025
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The question is whether that hardware expands or merely entertains.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The questions ask them about the society in general and the tone of the times shifts when the majority swings one way or the other.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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But the tone swings between sour and sweet, grounded and silly, and the jokes run more broadly wacky than precise or original.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When asked about his own legacy — a question that comes up more frequently as tributes and retrospectives accumulate — Hawke deflects with characteristic self-awareness.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
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And the attorney general, appointed by that president, does not say those photos do not exist and instead deflects the question with insults about the senator.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While Peters veers closer to a stock villain — the ubiquitous empowered dweeb, though those coding-sequence tattoo sleeves are a nice embellishment — Hasan Minhaj and Arturo Castro are appealing as Eve’s ENCOM associates.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
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While the series veers more toward the action side of things, stealth is also incredibly important.—
George Yang,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Brown said the move redirects several million dollars to go toward households instead of paying the nonprofit to operate the program.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Democrats were quick to pan the move as a bailout that redirects foreign investment out of the US while lawmakers remain at odds over rising health care costs domestically.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Diverts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diverts. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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