divert
verb [ T ]
uk/daɪˈvɜːt/ usto use something such as money for a purpose that is different from the main one or the one that was originally planned:
divert sth to sb/sth Mutuals tend to pay out more than quoted insurers because they do not have to divert a chunk of their profits to shareholders.
divert sth from sth to/into sth The company is to divert resources from its traditional retail interiors operation into its furniture business.
to take a person's or people's attention away from something so that they think about something else:
The news of his appointment diverted attention from a 20% fall in pretax profit.
COMMERCE
to sell goods or services in a different place from the place where it was planned that they should be sold:
If you see a hair care product that you think may be an illegally diverted product, call the brand manufacturer right away.
TRANSPORT
to change the way that goods are sent or the place that they are sent to:
Many of the shipments have been diverted from air to rail.
Shipping lines were considering diverting their vessels to other major Japanese ports to unload cargo.
COMMUNICATIONS
to arrange for phone calls to go directly to another number:
A phone can be set to divert a call when the line is busy.
Phrasal verb
divert sb from sth