redirect
Americanverb (used with object)
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redirects,
present (3rd person singular)
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redirected,
past participle, past
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redirecting
present participle
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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:
I set some goals for myself to redirect my energy towards my own artwork and my own output.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
If the teen tries a shortcut, “responsible homework reminders” will redirect teens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The Russian agriculture ministry announced on Wednesday that it was working to redirect cargo flows to ports in the Baltic and Caspian Seas as well as land routes.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
They are among the 8,000 employees -- some 10 percent of the workforce -- Meta said it would lay off in Spring, as it pushes to redirect resources toward an ambitious AI agenda.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
I try to redirect my dream the way it’s supposed to go, but nothing changes.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
It may also depend on how the brain controls, redirects, or adapts its response to that pathology.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
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
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 Margaret Sanger
Locals redirected the Allies to nearby Licata and told them about “beach minefields, maritime conditions, and port-installation booby traps.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department redirected questions to the Norwalk Sheriff’s Station, which was not available to comment on the incident on Monday evening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Houthis' naval blockade, if enforced, could further strain Saudi Arabia's economy by cutting off access to its Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports redirected from the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
"At a certain point, we wondered whether that same current control could be redirected from cells to molecules, replacing the neuron-facing electrodes with ring-electrode pairs that could localize pH for DNA synthesis. It worked."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
“It was. They redirected it here because of the storms. Didn’t they make an announcement?”
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
You’ll be glad to know a lot you can do that does not involve dipping into your retirement funds, and/or redirecting valuable time and money away from your own family.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Scrapping digital ID, the spokesperson said, will mean "redirecting the resources earmarked for the scheme towards people's everyday priorities".
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The city has “exceeded expectations” in food recovery, he said, saving 80 million meals that would have been thrown out and redirecting them to people in need.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
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
I lean left, redirecting my bike’s trajectory, but before I can even turn, a truck flies by, nearly running us over.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
