How to Use divert in a Sentence

divert

verb
  • The stream was diverted toward the farmland.
  • Police diverted traffic to a side street.
  • He lied to divert attention from the real situation.
  • They're only proposing the law to divert attention from important issues.
  • They were charged with illegally diverting public funds for private use.
  • But a road trip diverts your mind away from tech and into the present.
    — Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 17 June 2026
  • So some cycling students are not able to divert their path.
    — Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
  • The runoff is meant to arrive in time for farmers to divert it for their crops.
    — Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 16 Feb. 2026
  • When those slow or divert supply, downstream users feel the shock.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The device is then deployed, which acts like a stent to divert blood away from the aneurysm.
    — Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2022
  • The metaverse is stage two of that plan that's already been forced to divert from its roadmap.
    — Billy Bambrough, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021
  • Expect it to be diverted to us.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
  • The wit is warm; the wisdom, diverting.
    — Air Mail, 3 Jan. 2026
  • Sandbags can help divert water if your yard is prone to flooding.
    — NBC News, 19 Aug. 2023
  • And once more, people are asking if anything can be done to stop or divert the flow.
    — Audrey McAvoy, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Dec. 2022
  • Detour signs will be in place to divert motorists around the street closure.
    — Erin Hardy, baltimoresun.com, 18 Oct. 2021
  • People have burned pipes that could divert water away to other cities.
    — Lauren Tierney, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022
  • The captain was then forced to divert the plane to Austin where she was removed.
    — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2021
  • Scene for scene, the movie is a vigorous and diverting ride.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 June 2026
  • The co-pilot was forced to divert and land the plane in Athens, Greece.
    — Escher Walcott, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Partnerships like this help raise awareness about the process and the need to divert waste.
    — Danielle Bernabe, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2022
  • The goal is to divert as many as 50 cats and dogs, officials said.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The goal is to divert as many as 50 cats and dogs, officials said.
    — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
  • But that screen in your hand isn’t just diverting your attention.
    — Markham Heid, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2024
  • Just the talk of a tax is apt to divert funds into non-real estate assets.
    — Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021
  • Police say traffic in the area has been diverted.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
  • But trade was diverted away from China.
    — ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Humans in the past have tried to divert or even stop lava from advancing.
    — Holly Yan, CNN, 7 Dec. 2022
  • Critics say the program diverts funds from public schools.
    — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Those trains will be diverted to Hoboken.
    — CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026

Some of 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.

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