redirect
Americanverb (used with object)
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to direct again.
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to change the direction or focus of.
He redirected the children's energies toward building a sand castle instead of throwing sand at each other.
adjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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redirectsimple
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redirectssimple
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have redirectedperfect
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has redirectedperfect
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am redirectingprogressive
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are redirectingprogressive
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is redirectingprogressive
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have been redirectingperfect progressive
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has been redirectingperfect progressive
Past
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redirectedsimple
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had redirectedperfect
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was redirectingprogressive
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were redirectingprogressive
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had been redirectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of redirect
Explanation
When you redirect something, you point it in a different direction. If your dog keeps licking your friends' knees, you might have to redirect her attention to a squeaky toy. Beavers can famously redirect the flow of water in a stream or river by building dams that divert the flow in a new direction. The very best elementary school teachers are experts at redirecting the attention of young kids, like when a music teacher redirects a class's energy into an enthusiastic round of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." The direct part of redirect comes from the Latin dirigere, "set straight."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"It will not be possible to redirect the entire harvest to European and other markets," Aramyan told AFP, warning of overproduction, bankruptcies and possible social strain.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Behind the scenes, the service will then automatically transfer direct debits and standing orders, move the balance, redirect incoming payments, such as benefits or salaries, and close your old account.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Crews will fly drones into the building to look for hot spots and then redirect their water cannons accordingly, Raabe said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
In a combative setting, Vance can dismantle an argument, redirect a question and put his interlocutor on the defensive.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
The first king realized that, instead of building dams, he must build waterways to redirect the river.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Joan Bosch, Eala’s coach since 2023, said Eala’s game translates naturally to grass because she absorbs and redirects pace so effectively.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
"Tubulin redirects the activity of these proteins by giving them something productive to do."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026
Spirit’s website redirects visitors to a landing page about its shutdown, which advises its ticket holders against traveling to airports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
Software stocks could recover by developing their own AI products or if a slowdown in AI infrastructure spending redirects investment back to the sector.
From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026
It redirects our attention to the great source and fountainhead of human life.
From The Pivot of Civilization by Sanger, Margaret
Engineers at L’Acoustics recognized the algorithm had a live sound application and redirected it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
China brushed off Washington’s elevated duties last year and redirected exports elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
He said the drive that pushed him earlier in his career has been redirected somewhere else, but it took years of practice and being surrounded by an older generation with wisdom to stop keeping score.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
It’s that China’s weak consumer economy has redirected discretionary spending toward lower-cost emotional rewards.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
At a girls’ school a certain amount of emotional energy, normally expended on boys, gets redirected into friendships.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
While many of the videos AFP examined are no longer live, other accounts are still sharing the AI-generated clips redirecting users to products.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
"They could either make a scar or make a blastema. Our research focused on redirecting the behavior of fibroblasts already present at the injury site."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
Carlsson, left all alone on the right side, doubled the advantage with his fourth goal of the playoffs at 13:24 of the third period, redirecting in a backhand pass from Troy Terry.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
That’s not chump change — and it could require pulling back on discretionary spending such as dining out or travel, or redirecting any future raises, bonuses or tax refunds toward your retirement fund.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
“In sympathy, most of what you are doing is redirecting energy. Sympathetic links are how the energy travels.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
