How to Use distract in a Sentence

distract

verb
  • I was distracted by a loud noise.
  • The local story distracted attention from news of the war overseas.
  • He was distracted from his studies.
  • You sneak into his room while I distract him.
  • The students are easily distracted, especially when they're tired.
  • And stars may distract from that.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Maybe the game would distract her.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The idea was to distract ourselves from the urge to breathe.
    — Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Try to ski with a friend, who might distract me with a story or a joke.
    — Frederick Dreier, Outside, 9 Jan. 2026
  • When she got distracted by her younger child, the girl was no longer there.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Don’t let that distract from the actions.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Don’t get distracted by your phone, but stay alert for what’s ahead.
    — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Start by clearing what distracts you.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The acting bit didn’t just distract the Raiders.
    — Sam McDowell 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Along the way, Jesse will have to avoid guards by distracting them.
    — George Yang, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 7 June 2026
  • The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Never distract, talk to or pet the service dog.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 14 June 2026
  • The biggest circus in the world couldn’t distract from all of that.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026
  • If that's not possible, distract them with a chew toy or treat.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
  • For me, nothing is meant to restrict or distract.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Then both boys got distracted by a drone overhead.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
  • But she was distracted by a nagging thought.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
  • And don’t be distracted by the cowboy hat.
    — Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
  • One of the men approached a store worker in order to distract her.
    — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
  • None of that distracted me from the charm of swimming in the middle of nowhere.
    — Lauren Breedlove, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The chime of her phone distracted her for a moment only.
    — Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Running with others can distract you from fatigue and help pass the time.
    — Jenessa Connor, Outside, 30 Sep. 2025
  • And if someone tries to distract you, keep an eye on your belongings.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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