divert

Divert means to change or shift something from its original direction or plan.

When you divert your attention, you turn it away from what you were doing and focus on something else. You might also divert a river by building a dam or redirecting the water flow. In everyday life, people often divert resources or money to solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity. For example, a city might divert traffic around a construction site, or a company might divert funds from one department to another.