diversionary
adjective
di·ver·sion·ary
| \ də-ˈvər-zhə-ˌner-ē
, dī-, -shə-\
, dī-, -shə-\
Definition of diversionary
: tending to draw attention away from the principal concern : being a diversion
Examples of diversionary in a Sentence
This is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to distract attention from the issues.
Recent Examples on the Web
Another player might be exalted as a hero for challenging the powers that be over helmet rules that are — let’s be honest — loosely backed and were likely enacted as part of a diversionary public retaliations tactic. — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, "Raiders camp return just another scene in Antonio Brown’s contrived melodrama," 13 Aug. 2019 The squirter might also try to clean the spot, another diversionary tactic. — Andrea Sachs, Twin Cities, "10 common travel scams — and how to avoid them," 10 Aug. 2019 Nasta says police also could have used a diversionary tactic such as firing at the home, deploying smoke grenades or breaking a door or window in another part of the home. — Washington Post, "The Latest: Neighbor: Suspect in slaying harassed family," 20 June 2019 Trump is a political octopus, squirting so much diversionary black ink at us that diversion is the new normal. — Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, "Forget “No Collusion,” Trump Is Now Pro-Collusion," 14 June 2019 On Wednesday night, lawmakers passed a compromise bill that creates a new diversionary program for juvenile car thieves but also expands the court’s ability to detain repeat offenders. — Russell Blair, courant.com, "Capitol Week in Review: Tolls vote still looming as General Assembly session ends," 7 June 2019 The Connecticut legislation, expected to be signed by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, will require prosecutors to compile a variety of data, including how many defendants received prison time, plea bargains or diversionary programs. — CBS News, "Connecticut officials say state to become first to collect prosecutor data," 6 June 2019 Promise is a diversionary program that is supposed to allow flexibility in how schools handle troubled kids without making them part of the criminal justice system. — Rafael Olmeda, sun-sentinel.com, "Who’ll be the prosecutor for the Parkland murder trial if Mike Satz won’t seek re-election?," 4 June 2019 Last fall, King County Executive Dow Constantine pledged $4 million to support diversionary programs that work with young offenders in a bid to reduce the county’s juvenile detention population from a typical daily range of 40 or 50 to zero. — Tyrone Beason, The Seattle Times, "As King County looks to end youth detention, Choose 180 offers a path of ‘restorative justice’," 12 Apr. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diversionary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for diversionary
diversionary
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of diversionary
formal
: tending or intended to take attention away from someone or something important
See the full definition for diversionary in the English Language Learners Dictionary