distract

Definition

To divert the attention of.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”).

Example Sentences

• "The crowd was distracted by a helicopter hovering over the stadium when the only goal of the game was scored."
• "While Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had warned his players against letting the pre-match festivities distract them from the task at hand, they clearly struggled for fluency early on."
• "Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee."

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