1
as in amused
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied
a light comedy to divert the tired business executive
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turned
to change the course or direction of (something)
the bike race was diverted around the construction zone
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in distracted
to draw the attention or mind to something else
trying to divert the child with a toy while the doctor was giving her a shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of diverted
Shortly thereafter, all of the engineering and technological work that had been devoted to the development of television since the mid-1920s was diverted to military purposes to support the war effort.
—
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Police say traffic in the area has been diverted.
—Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Successful management means only sending trash that cannot be diverted or reused to landfills and waste-to-energy.
—Mike Ryan, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Following the incident, PFPA announced that bus traffic was being diverted to the Pentagon City station and alternate routes were suggested for commuters, WJLA reported.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Traffic was being diverted to Interstate 635.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
As social-justice programming diverted many high-performing charter networks, others remained focused on academic rigor and continued to excel.
—Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
If that building isn’t built or the gift is diverted for other purposes, the donor can sue to get their money back under contract law.
—Beth Gazley, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Traffic was being diverted, and drivers were urged to avoid the area and use Miami Gardens Drive, 183rd Street, as an alternate route.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Police say traffic in the area has been diverted.
—Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Successful management means only sending trash that cannot be diverted or reused to landfills and waste-to-energy.
—Mike Ryan, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Following the incident, PFPA announced that bus traffic was being diverted to the Pentagon City station and alternate routes were suggested for commuters, WJLA reported.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Traffic was being diverted to Interstate 635.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
As social-justice programming diverted many high-performing charter networks, others remained focused on academic rigor and continued to excel.
—Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
If that building isn’t built or the gift is diverted for other purposes, the donor can sue to get their money back under contract law.
—Beth Gazley, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Traffic was being diverted, and drivers were urged to avoid the area and use Miami Gardens Drive, 183rd Street, as an alternate route.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diverted
Verb
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But Anderson is clearly amused, and has already made a number of pieces for the Mayers offspring (the children use their father’s surname).—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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The thing that really amused me is that at the beginning of the process, Duncan had written this great adaptation and script.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Knueppel, who was a one-and-done at Duke just like Flagg but turned 20 before his NBA career started, became the first rookie to lead the league in 3-pointers with 273.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Butajevas, who turned 19 on March 27, arrives to coach Todd Golden’s team with a prototypical European skill set at nearly 6-foot-10.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Portland couldn’t figure out how to pass off help assignments to deal with the downhill speed of San Antonio’s guards and wings, with the Blazers’ centers distracted on the perimeter.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The report also indicated the driver of the black truck was not suspected of being on drugs or alcohol and was not distracted when the crash happened.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kimmel himself entertained at the dinner in 2012.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
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For his great-grandmother's Platinum Jubilee celebration in 2022, Louis entertained the Queen with his big reaction to the Trooping the Colour flypast.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The game swung on these knife-edge moments, but the actual performance levels were similar from both teams.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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But as the ball swung around the perimeter, opportunities arose for the likes of Dosunmu and McDaniels to crack the paint off the bounce.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Decades ago, Americans regaled their friends and neighbors with tales of their recent travels via slideshows presented at home on a Kodak Carousel projector.—
Keith Pandolfi,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
19 Mar. 2026
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Nash’s Santa Clara teams had that under coach Dick Davey, whose lessons in mental toughness were regaled in Nash’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement speech.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, if a job ends near this time, you're being redirected to a new position elsewhere or a fresh career path altogether.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Motown Records redirected American pop away from its white-centric rock ’n’ roll course, and Smokey Robinson was central to that era-defining mission.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Emery had been incessant in wanting shorter, faster balls from his deeper players, with Villa’s best opportunity of the afternoon stemming from brave passing in combination in the first half, coaxing Fulham onto them before John McGinn whipped a ball into the space behind.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Many in the room whipped out their cameras to start filming, and made the rounds to glean and share details.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Diverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diverted. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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