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Glite Dictionary
to deflect attention

to deflect attention

6 5.2
To make people look at something else to avoid criticism
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : desviar la atención
  • In his speech, the politician attempted to deflect attention from his controversial past.
  • deflect attention away

Thankfully, it made me stand out in a different way and it deflected attention from me.

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Examples

  • White House officials tried to deflect attention, saying Bush was suffering from stomach flu.

    Blog text (16)

  • Or else you're trying to deflect attention from your client's guilt.

    Shadow of Doubt (1998)

  • However, it also deflected attention from the other conflict growing in Europe.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Thankfully, it made me stand out in a different way and it deflected attention from me.

    The Diary Of A CEO

  • The acquisition of Pierre is intended to deflect attention away from the facts.

    Blog text (19)

  • His death deflected attention away from the Rettig Commission and focused it on political violence.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Too much emphasis on others' perceptions can deflect attention from one's own goals.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Who's to say they are not deflecting attention away from themselves and are up to mischief?

    Blog text (14)

  • Arab political upheaval has deflected attention away from Israel's most daunting security threat—a nuclear Iran.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The celebrity tried to deflect attention from the scandal by promoting her new movie.

Synonyms

to distract
vsto deflect attention
513 2.1

To make someone stop paying attention to what they are doing or thinking about

is used with the explicit purpose of avoiding criticism or scrutiny
to distract from
vsto deflect attention
82 3.3

To make someone stop paying attention to something by showing something else

aims specifically to move focus away to avoid criticism or scrutiny
to deflect
vsto deflect attention
76 4.6

To turn attention away from a person or thing

is specifically used to move focus away to avoid criticism or scrutiny
to downplay
vsto deflect attention
59 5.3

Show something as less important or serious than it is

in contrast, shifts public focus away mainly to avoid criticism or scrutiny
to soft-pedal
vsto deflect attention
3 7.6

To make a problem or bad news seem less important

uses redirection of focus specifically to prevent scrutiny rather than only softening tone
to sidestep the issue
vsto deflect attention
1 6.0

To avoid answering a difficult question by changing the subject

moves focus away rather than simply avoiding discussion of the problem
to wag the dog
vsto deflect attention
  • Literature
1 8.8

Make people focus on something less important to hide a bigger problem

is the broader tactic of moving focus away, often to avoid scrutiny
to sidestep the controversy
vsto deflect attention
1 6.8

To avoid talking about a controversial issue on purpose

focuses on shifting public view away to escape scrutiny rather than noninvolvement
to deflect the conversation
vsto deflect attention
7.0

To change the topic on purpose to avoid a subject

is about moving focus away specifically to avoid criticism or scrutiny
to defocus
vsto deflect attention
6.7

To move attention away from something so people think about it less

involves moving focus away with the goal of avoiding criticism or scrutiny
to misfocus
vsto deflect attention
8.0

To give attention to the wrong person or problem

is deliberate reorientation of focus often aimed at avoiding criticism
to soft-pedal the issue
vsto deflect attention
7.7

Treat a problem as less important to avoid dealing with it

instead moves focus away to avoid criticism rather than just minimizing importance

Antonyms

to focus
∞ 2.6

To direct attention or thoughts toward something specific

How Strongly

to distract
513 2.1
to deflect attention
6 5.2
to allude
88 6.5

Surface Forms

deflect attention infinitive
deflected attention past
deflected attention past participle
deflecting attention present participle
deflects attention third person singular

Morphology

deflect + attention

The meaning 'to cause people's focus to move away from something' is directly derivable from combining 'deflect' (to change the course of something) with 'attention' (mental focus). This verb+noun composition corresponds to the common concept 'divert/shift attention' found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Deflect attention comes from the image of turning a beam of light or the path of an arrow away so it lands somewhere else. If you deflect something you make it go another way, so you send people's attention away from the real problem, which is why it means 'to cause people's focus to move away'.