Synonyms

redirect

American

[ree-di-rekt, -dahy-] / ˌri dɪˈrɛkt, -daɪ- /

verb (used with object)

to direct again.
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

Law. pertaining to the examination of a witness by the party who called them, after cross-examination.

redirect British

/ ˌriːdaɪ-, ˌriːdɪˈrɛkt /

verb

to direct (someone or something) to a different place or by a different route

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

redirection

noun

Etymology

Origin of redirect

First recorded in 1835–45; re- + direct

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

This included the Double Asteroid Redirect Test – the world’s first planetary defense experiment.

From Scientific American • Aug. 10, 2023

Redirect a downspout to fill a rain barrel, then use the captured water to fill watering cans.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2023

Redirect your focus from the subject of your overthinking to the fact that you are overthinking.

From Washington Post • Nov. 3, 2022

The dramatic last moments of the broadcast did what any great cliffhanger must: Redirect attention away from what’s already happened to what could happen.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2022

The trial messages are part of Facebook’s Redirect Initiative which aims to combat extremism.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023