misdirection

[ mis-di-rek-shuhn ]

/ ˌmɪs dɪˈrɛk ʃən /

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noun

a wrong or incorrect direction, guidance, or instruction:Unfortunately, his advice on the matter was a misdirection acted upon by numerous state leaders.

the use of misleading appearances or distraction to prevent detection of one’s true intent, as in a sports play, magic trick, plot twist, or wrongdoing; feint: The film begins with a masterful bit of misdirection, which sets up our expectations only to have them upended by a surprising twist.The media’s unveiling of a scandal at this precise moment is clearly misdirection, which serves both them and the White House well.

Law. an erroneous charge to the jury by a judge.

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Origin of misdirection

First recorded in 1760–70; mis-¹ + direction

Words nearby misdirection

misdescribe, misdiagnose, misdiagnosis, misdial, misdirect, misdirection, misdo, misdoubt, mise, misease, miseducate

How to use misdirection in a sentence

It was the first of her many staggering escapes and misdirections.
VANISHED: 6 Unsolved and Baffling Disappearances|Sohini Das Gupta|July 21, 2021|Ozy
But under what moral principle must a nation mimic both the madness and the misdirection of its enemy?
Numbers Don’t Tell the Mideast Story|Thane Rosenbaum|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The constant disinformation, distraction, misdirection, confabulation, and endless stream of threats actually works.
Al-Dura Report: Smear Tactics That Work|Emily L. Hauser|May 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Is this a Benghazi misdirection from those masters of deception in the White House, a latter day Whitewater?
Hillary Clinton Faints: What Caused It?|Kent Sepkowitz|December 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST

This misdirection is also likely what led CNN and Fox News to mistakenly report that the mandate had been struck down.
Did Chief Justice Roberts Take a Cue From Two Centuries Ago?|Chris Geidner|June 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In that regard, Eisner proved confounding, with his comments reading more like misdirection than tea leaves.
Michael Eisner on Media's Future|Peter Lauria|September 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It affected him as a part of the general misdirection of affection and effort in the world.
Wayside Courtships|Hamlin Garland
The plea was misdirection and want of time, so that, in itself, the matter was one of secondary importance.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. II (of II)|Charles James Lever
This fatal result of an enthusiasm for classical literature was hastened and heightened by the misdirection of the powers of art.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)|John Ruskin
The mistake arose from a misdirection in two notes which the admiral had written on the same subject.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXLII. Vol. LV. April, 1844|Various
Trousseau says that it is produced by a misdirection of the natural pigments of the body, resulting from age, climate, or disease.
An Investigation into the Nature of Black Phthisis|Archibald Makellar