diverted; diverting; diverts
: to turn aside : deviate
studied law but diverted to diplomacy
1
2
: to give pleasure to especially by distracting the attention from what burdens or distresses
children diverting themselves with their toys
Examples of divert in a Sentence
Police diverted traffic to a side street.
The stream was diverted toward the farmland.
They were charged with illegally diverting public funds for private use.
He lied to divert attention from the real situation.
They're only proposing the law to divert attention from important issues.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has partnered with private industry to implement programs at their correctional facilities, diverting 8 to 10 tons of food residuals per week for recycling.
—
Andrew Cassilly, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2024
An Air Europa flight from Madrid to Montevideo was diverted to northeastern Brazil on Monday after hitting turbulence that injured dozens.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 2 July 2024
Replace fluids Fluids provide the dual functions of coolant and lubricant by diverting heat from the engine.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2024
As days passed with agencies spread thin, major resources were diverted to the largest fire, in Paonia, 70 miles from Glenwood Springs, which burned three houses.
—Alison Osius, Outside Online, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for divert 
Andrew Cassilly, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2024
An Air Europa flight from Madrid to Montevideo was diverted to northeastern Brazil on Monday after hitting turbulence that injured dozens.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 2 July 2024
Replace fluids Fluids provide the dual functions of coolant and lubricant by diverting heat from the engine.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2024
As days passed with agencies spread thin, major resources were diverted to the largest fire, in Paonia, 70 miles from Glenwood Springs, which burned three houses.
—Alison Osius, Outside Online, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for divert
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'divert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near divert
Cite this Entry
“Divert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divert. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
divert
transitive verb
di·vert
də-ˈvərt, dī- 
1
: to turn from one course or use to another
funds illegally diverted
2
: to place (a defendant) under a diversion
diverter
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share