verb

• 1Cause (someone or something) to change course or turn from one direction to another.

  ‘a scheme to divert water from the river to irrigate agricultural land’

  More example sentences

  • ‘With such potential being diverted away from worthwhile direction, I must admit that it breaks a little bit of my heart.’
  • ‘Another method employs moveable flaps in the rocket motor to divert the exhaust flow direction.’
  • ‘By 1920 state and private interests had carved four massive canals to divert water directly into the Atlantic Ocean and create dry farmland.’
  • ‘Also, the flashing must be carefully designed and constructed to direct and divert the water.’
  • ‘Junctions 33 to 34 of the M6 were closed in both directions, meaning all traffic was diverted through the city.’
  • ‘The Chief Minister said he sees a collision course approaching but won't do anything to divert it.’
  • ‘Hastily, they'd written a bill to eliminate the right to divert a river for a kayak course.’
  • ‘One option would be running a light railway or tram system over the new bridge as well as diverting lorries across it.’
  • ‘Indeed, diverting the buses could mean that some were no longer able to go out.’
  • ‘Unfortunately, the Garda patrol car was diverted to another incident and never reached Ballycastle that night.’
  • ‘When they thought that we had left, I took a full circle and diverted the car towards quarry number 1.’
  • ‘That's why they diverted the dual carriageway from the airport to avoid disturbing the fairy fort.’
  • ‘Both schemes will divert more traffic to William Hunter Way and there are also suggestions for junction improvements.’
  • ‘Apparently much of the water upstream has been diverted for agricultural use.’
  • ‘Planes were diverted to airfields in the Philippines and the Intrepid was knocked out of action until February 1945.’
  • ‘Trucks and buses were also banned from using the flyover, with commercial vehicles diverted to the roundabout underneath.’
  • ‘His soldiers leveled their villages and his engineers diverted and drained the water that gave the marshes life.’
  • ‘Outbound lanes will be closed and drivers diverted to detours for another week.’
  • ‘Keep it this way, and maybe I could divert all questions.’
  • ‘I'll divert more power to the shields, that should give us a little more time.’

  Synonyms

  reroute, redirect, change the course of, draw away, turn aside, head off, deflect, avert, transfer, channel

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  1. 1.1no object (of a vehicle or person) change course.
     ‘an aircraft has diverted and will be with you shortly’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Curious, the Mistress of Freeport diverted from her course to have a closer look.’
     • ‘Police said the men diverted onto the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway and then onto the Eastern Main Road.’
     • ‘The cruise liner diverted from its course to cut down the flying time of the helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth.’
     • ‘Your author furthermore diverts from the real alternatives and moves to gas and coal.’
     • ‘If you thought geocaching was a bit anoraky I've now diverted slightly into trigpointing.’
     • ‘Instead we happily divert to supposed ‘safe’ spots, there to be uncivilly mugged or traffic-maimed.’
     • ‘They trusted me that we could divert from the norm, do something very unusual and take that risk.’
     • ‘Charging only on motorways alone would increase traffic on local roads as drivers would divert to avoid the charge.’
     • ‘People divert from their normal route to avoid disturbing this not so rare breed!’
     • ‘Lisa quickly diverted from her lacky wannabe followers and stood by Hannah's locker.’
     • ‘This survey will doubtless indicate how many private car owners have diverted to which alternative routes.’
     • ‘Cartagena is on the north coast of Colombia, and the Master diverted there.’
     • ‘I also diverted to Dublin to check out its diving scene - more of that in a later issue.’
     • ‘Gas and weather were no problem, so we could divert if we had to.’
     • ‘Nowadays I'll divert from my route if I sense I'm making a fellow pedestrian feel uncomfortable, man or woman.’
     • ‘While some roads have been made one-way and BMTC buses diverted, congestion hasn't eased.’
     • ‘Even this was false, and the aircraft then diverted to Riyan.’
     • ‘Sometimes these things do not even occur because the vessels divert to somewhere else.’
     • ‘He told them the nature of our emergency and said we were diverting to Cherry Point, N.C.’
     • ‘Many passengers are still unaware of the changes and are surprised when these buses divert from their old routes.’
  2. 1.2Reallocate (money or resources) to a different purpose.
     ‘more of their advertising budget was diverted into promotions’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Resources will be diverted into intervention and community services.’
     • ‘From now on resources will be diverted into the new versions of the PlayStation and X-Box.’
     • ‘Money could be diverted into areas where it could be put to better use, such as policing hard core drugs.’
     • ‘Resources are therefore diverted into lower-value outputs, leading to a reduction in overall welfare.’
     • ‘The point is that if that money were diverted into transport uses, taxation would have to be raised from other sources.’
     • ‘But we could easily save money, diverting resources to more innovative management practices.’
     • ‘They do not, as far as I know, complain that a huge slice of their council tax is diverted into the coffers of the art gallery.’
     • ‘In developing countries on high growth trajectories, household savings may be diverted into productive investment.’
     • ‘Money going towards a grant of £1, 000 a year from 2004 could also be diverted into reducing the level of fees.’
     • ‘Spending on capital goods means that resources are diverted away from consumption and vice versa.’
     • ‘But the money was then diverted into his own building society account and used to fund his expensive lifestyle.’
     • ‘The service will see more than 100 tonnes of organic waste diverted from landfill each year.’
     • ‘The result was an ambitious target for Essex of 65 per cent of waste diverted from landfill without incineration by 2007.’
     • ‘Studies are on to find other alternatives and the Government should divert more funds towards this.’
     • ‘By recycling these items they are diverted from landfill avoiding the associated environmental problems.’
     • ‘Precious health dollars have been diverted to pay the tax bill of a public trust.’
     • ‘By using the green recycling bin, you can divert up to 25% of waste from landfill.’
     • ‘"Even though the quantity is not a whole lot, any waste that we can divert from landfill is helpful, " he said.’
     • ‘Yet it might divert huge amounts of capital for replacing fossil fuels rapidly with alternative energy sources.’
     • ‘Also, of course, grain prices will rise as cropland is diverted to growing corn for fuel.’

• 2Draw (the attention) of someone from something.

  ‘public relations policies are sometimes intended to divert attention away from criticism’

  More example sentences

  • ‘As memes evolve, they become better and better at distracting and diverting us from whatever we'd really like to be doing with our lives.’
  • ‘If you want to stop your baby doing something, the best way is to quickly distract and divert her onto a different activity.’
  • ‘Her attempt to get his attention only partially diverted him.’
  • ‘A moment of weakness is when you divert someone's attention and throw ground habanero into their soup!’
  • ‘This means trivialities that could distract or divert his focus of attention, which is winning golf tournaments, do not sidetrack him.’
  • ‘My fear is that attention will be diverted from issues that really matter to Selby miners, such as securing better pension rights.’
  • ‘Those who go to mosques for prayers should not allow their attention to be diverted for any reason.’
  • ‘In a way it is now a silent crisis, because our attention has been diverted to other disasters.’
  • ‘So what do they do, but divert the public's attention to social issues that they know are wrong.’
  • ‘It diverts the public's attention away from decades of cuts in hard-won government programs for income security.’
  • ‘Rose diverts all of her attention to the hot tea, inadvertently releasing Delilah from her magical hold.’
  • ‘For this doctrine diverts the public's attention from the core of the problem.’
  • ‘Therefore, attention should not be diverted from traditional risk-lowering strategies in favor of folic acid supplementation.’
  • ‘They were satisfied to find none, and then divert all their attention to Auntie Jane.’
  • ‘With Tane's attention momentarily diverted, Ferik's knee swung upwards into his stomach.’
  • ‘The best trick is to momentarily divert their attention - " Hey!’
  • ‘My eyes were momentarily diverted to a pile of my books at the end of my bed.’
  • ‘They warned that people's lives were being put at risk because firefighters were being diverted from their duties.’
  • ‘Then he got diverted because he got to eat rice for the first time last night in eight months because he only had wotou before.’
  • ‘I am sorry, yes, perhaps I got diverted, your Honour.’

  Synonyms

  distract, detract, sidetrack, lead away, draw away, be a distraction, put off, disturb someone's concentration

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  1. 2.1Entertain or amuse.
     ‘although the audience members were diverted by this new symphony, critics disliked it’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Sitting in the pub at lunchtime with his nibs, a pint and a good book was far more entertaining and diverting.’
     • ‘Needless to say, I wanted to put the book aside, because it is not entertaining or diverting.’
     • ‘I was diverted and entertained, but never truly absorbed.’
     • ‘He never concerned himself with diverting or weaving an illusory web for his audience.’
     • ‘The best of these books are not only diverting entertainments: they are serious explorations of human character.’
     • ‘So, suffice it to say, in one way or another Hamilton's books are sufficiently diverting, which is something I need right now.’
     • ‘It is endlessly diverting and can keep a simpleton like me amused for near hours on end.’
     • ‘A culture frantic to entertain, divert, and inform cannot drown out boredom.’
     • ‘The earliest concertos composed for square piano are slight works, diverting but light weight.’
     • ‘But some people aren't just looking to be diverted or entertained by music.’
     • ‘Ultimately, though, Lessing provides a cracking good story that diverts, entertains and stimulates.’
     • ‘At their best, these tales entertain and divert.’
     • ‘But to be entertained is to be diverted, for that is what all these activities are: diversions.’
     • ‘A diverting entertainment nonetheless, this is one book not to judge by its blocky lime-green cover or its bland layout.’
     • ‘This keeps most of the fans diverted while others buy programs, CDs and drinks.’
     Synonyms

     amuse, entertain, distract, titillate, delight, give pleasure to, beguile, enchant, interest, fascinate, occupy, absorb, engross, rivet, grip, hold the attention of

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