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:
Burnham has pledged to "redirect the resources towards 'people's everyday priorities'," the paper says.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 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
Other lawmakers can see that signal and redirect their own money toward the colleague under pressure.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 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
But if we wish to find the Earth, we must redirect our course to the remote outskirts of the Galaxy, to an obscure locale near the edge of a distant spiral arm.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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
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
A button redirects users to an Uber webpage to book.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Effective leadership redirects that attention outward toward customers, purpose and shared impact.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 18, 2025
It redirects our attention to the great source and fountainhead of human life.
From The Pivot of Civilization by Sanger, Margaret
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
China brushed off Washington’s elevated duties last year and redirected exports elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Around 2,500 people in California were redirected, and in Los Angeles, specifically, some 200 people were deterred, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 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
Just like yesterday, he has a wall of shields on over his data, set up so that anyone trying to break in would automatically be redirected to a shield instead of to his data.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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
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
The backrooms seem to exist in part to terrify entrants into redirecting their energies toward better life choices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
It identified three other projects, including the rehabilitation of the historic but dilapidated Wadsworth Chapel, that would be funded by redirecting $212 million from previous authorizations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 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.
