How to Use diversionary in a Sentence

diversionary

adjective
Definition of diversionarynext
  • This is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to distract attention from the issues.
  • Is in-class pizza so normal in US schools that it can be used as a diversionary tactic?
    — Charlie Sorrel, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2007
  • If not, Peltz will have his work cut out for him at the proxy ballot box as a diversionary illusionist.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2023
  • One man’s look back at the best of times, which – as pointed out in a couple diversionary chapters – includes some men with the worst of intentions.
    — Mark Zeigler, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 July 2017
  • The squirter might also try to clean the spot, another diversionary tactic.
    — Andrea Sachs, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2019
  • Nord Stream 2, just like Nord Stream 1, is intended to be a diversionary pipeline.
    — Alan Riley, WSJ, 24 July 2017
  • The scapegoating of Wall Street and the City [of London] may be a diversionary tactic but there is nothing fake about the animus that lies behind it.
    — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 26 Mar. 2021
  • The Russians will be looking for signs of where the brigades are deployed and whether they will be split up to enable supporting or diversionary attacks.
    — Tim Lister, CNN, 16 Apr. 2023
  • The ensemble’s game, but nobody gets much in the way of lighthearted diversion even in the diversionary bits.
    — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022
  • The fires were most likely a diversionary tactic while the gunman robbed the casino, Mr. Albayalde said.
    — Richard C. Paddock, New York Times, 3 June 2017
  • In the end, Higgins gives us an Elon Musk who functions most strikingly as a diversionary tactic.
    — Jo Livingstone, The New Republic, 6 Aug. 2021
  • The profound state-society conflict that has ensued since then may provoke the regime to look for a diversionary battle.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2023
  • No amount of diversionary talk over other evidence can now change that.
    — Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, 5 Apr. 2018
  • With the diversionary force defeated, Russia went on the offensive for phase two.
    — David Filipov, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2017
  • Burning the casino could be a diversionary tactic for his escape.
    — Todd Pitman, The Seattle Times, 3 June 2017
  • Whether this help should go to prisons and jails or diversionary programs is another hot debate.
    — Morgan Simon, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022
  • Some Venezuelans, used to Mr Maduro’s diversionary tactics, refused to believe the story.
    — The Economist, 14 May 2020
  • When large predators defend their food caches, ravens call in other flock members to engage in diversionary tactics for gaining access to the food.
    — Onur Güntürkün, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2020
  • Was arrested in March 2015 and charged in connection to a bar fight, but avoiding trial by agreeing to a diversionary program.
    — The Kansas City Star, kansascity.com, 27 Apr. 2017
  • But diversionary structures opened up a legal can of worms, explained Lockwood.
    — Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2014
  • While much was made of it - there was chatter about secret tunnels and diversionary tactics - Rockets players dismissed it as not being that big a deal.
    — Jenny Dial Creech, Houston Chronicle, 17 Jan. 2018
  • Both Brady and Belichick have developed their own diversionary tactics with the media.
    — Conor Orr, SI.com, 5 Jan. 2018
  • McCune believes a mixture of law enforcement and diversionary long-term treatment is the best approach to solving the crisis.
    — Sean Robinson, The Seattle Times, 18 Mar. 2018
  • Garcia and her colleagues called that a diversionary tactic.
    — Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 19 Feb. 2020
  • After the lunch break, the situation did not improve, although Gorsuch did add a Socrates quote to his stable of diversionary chestnuts.
    — Mark Joseph Stern, Slate Magazine, 21 Mar. 2017
  • When the Chinese economy falters, the danger is not diversionary war.
    — M. Taylor Fravel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Police are not disclosing details of why the boys brought weapons to school, but said Wednesday that both have been referred to a diversionary program in the juvenile justice system.
    — Don Stacom, Courant Community, 16 May 2018
  • Fourth, those opposed to the message of the film resort to classic diversionary tactics to create false controversy.
    — Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 31 Aug. 2017
  • China’s lack of diversionary behavior also highlights a flaw in the logic of waging a diversionary war.
    — M. Taylor Fravel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Since then, Pinto has introduced a sweeping set of proposals to tackle and prevent crime as well as to create a task force to review diversionary programs that could keep nonviolent misdemeanor offenders out of jail.
    — Tim Carman, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diversionary.' 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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