misdirection

noun

mis·​di·​rec·​tion ˌmis-də-ˈrek-shən How to pronounce misdirection (audio)
-(ˌ)dī-
1
: a wrong direction
2
a
: the act or an instance of misdirecting or diverting
b
: the state of being misdirected

Examples of misdirection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That bit of misdirection sets the tone for the film itself: a heady gumbo of high and low culture, irony and sincerity, dust and digital restoration. Arkansas Online, 17 July 2025 The misdirection before the start of the weekend gave some of us optimists hope that the U.S. would not soon bomb Iran’s nuclear sites. Tom Aspray, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025 Christopher McQuarrie, who has directed these last four entries and deserves a lot of credit for crystallizing the elements that now distinguish this series, is an expert engineer of anticipation and misdirection. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 May 2025 On the pages of National Review and, after 1966, on Firing Line, Buckley pioneered the do-your-own-research rhetorical style: whataboutism and verbal misdirections that often slipped into intellectual nihilism. Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for misdirection

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misdirection was in 1675

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Cite this Entry

“Misdirection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdirection. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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