divert
Americanverb (used with object)
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diverts,
present (3rd person singular)
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diverted,
past participle, past
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diverting
present participle
verb (used without object)
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diverts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
diverted,
past participle, past
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diverting
present participle
verb
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to turn (a person or thing) aside from a course; deflect
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(tr) to entertain; amuse
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(tr) to distract the attention of
Synonym Usage
See amuse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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diverternoun
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predivertverb (used with object)
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redivertverb (used with object)
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divertibleadjective
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divertingadjective
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divertiveadjective
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undivertedadjective
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undivertibleadjective
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divertedlyadverb
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divertinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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divertsimple
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divertssimple
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have divertedperfect
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has divertedperfect
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am divertingprogressive
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are divertingprogressive
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is divertingprogressive
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have been divertingperfect progressive
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has been divertingperfect progressive
Past
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divertedsimple
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had divertedperfect
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was divertingprogressive
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were divertingprogressive
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had been divertingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of divert
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin dīvertere, from dī- di- 2 + vertere “to turn”
Explanation
To divert means to shift or turn from one thing to another. A magician might attempt to divert your attention as he shoves the rabbit into the hat. The police will divert traffic if there has been an accident that blocks the road, and it's a good idea to divert some of your income into a savings account so you don't spend it all. Are you throwing a surprise party for a friend at his house? Have a neighbor divert him for a little while if he comes home early so that you can finish getting ready. While these uses concern physically guiding something to a different location, divert can also be used to mean "distract" or "entertain." If your friend can't stop worrying about her grades, you might want to divert her with the latest school gossip.
Vocabulary lists containing divert
The Outsiders
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Coraline
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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:
The post-Halloween activity aimed to give residents a way to dispose of pumpkins while educating about how to properly divert organic materials from landfills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
Ultimately, the scandal surrounding Peltola is being used as "distractive tactics" to divert voters away from what's at stake, said surgical technologist Zara Oakley, 41.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Do not divert from your original or primary message, and don’t get dragged into any “if” or “but” scenarios.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
If the UK is outside the new rules, China could divert its excess car production to the UK, where, like Thailand, there are currently lower tariffs and even subsidies.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Except the player isn’t sacrificing a pawn to attack a king, it’s a parry, a feint, a foil shift to divert attention.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
It did strike me as odd, however, that “Tony” is forged on a factual alteration that diverts Tony from the kitchen far too often — the movie’s cardinal sin.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Yet even the best projections can crumble if, say, a parent loses a high-paying job or diverts money from their own retirement account to fund a 529 plan.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Supervising banks for reputational risk also diverts “resources from more salient risks without adding material value from a safety and soundness perspective or ensuring greater compliance with the law,” they add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
The petitioner suggests repurposing a building at nearby Chapelfield Gardens as a dovecote and source of food, in the hope it diverts pigeons away from the market.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2025
Instinctively, my hands fold like I’m praying, and then I extend my arms forward, cutting through the splendor as it diverts in either direction, barely avoiding me on either side.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Nvidia is facing mounting scrutiny over its influence on U.S. export controls and whether some of its world-leading semiconductors were illegally diverted to China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
Traffic was immediately diverted off the freeway, with Caltrans reporting that all lanes of westbound 91 near 14th Street were closed at 4:30 a.m. due to the collision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
As members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization diverted weapons to aid Ukraine, European capitals have been placing a steady stream of orders to replenish their own stockpiles, generating business for defense groups like Hensoldt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
Buses have also been temporarily diverted with all Wirral Metro services terminating at Whitechapel, and starting their return journey from Sir Thomas Street.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
The soft clunk of pool balls diverted my attention.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Before long, U.S. and Asian authorities were investigating whether her firm, Megaspeed, was illegally diverting Nvidia chips to China, and probing her suspected intelligence ties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began diverting water from streams that feed the lake, sending it to the City of Angels via its controversial aqueduct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
You talk about taking the slow road to retirement, not diverting down dirt tracks leading you to the Emerald City of AI, and how it seems, well, boring and safe.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
The expansion would mean demolishing hundreds of homes, diverting rivers, and rerouting the M25 motorway between junctions 14 and 15 through a tunnel under the new runway.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
With a lurch Rishi realized his brain was also diverting blood flow to other parts of his body.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
