avert attention

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "avert attention" is not commonly used in written English and may not convey the intended meaning clearly.
It could be used when discussing the act of diverting someone's focus away from something, but it is more typical to use "divert attention" instead. Example: "The magician's tricks were designed to avert attention from his assistant's movements."

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Over the course of training, participants learn to attend to the valence of stimuli that predict the location of the probe to which they have to respond; therefore, the attend-threat training encourages a negative attentional bias, whereas the avoid-threat training encourages a tendency to avert attention from negative stimuli.

Biological Psychiatry

Milne, however, is entirely wrong to conclude that the Islamophobia he perceives is motivated by a desire to avert attention from western military adventurism and support for despots.

The Guardian - Opinion

Viewers never have to avert attention from the artwork, as is the case with conventional guide material such as wall text or informational kiosks.

University of Chicago

Should she avert attention from the disreputable laws, should they come up?

Huffington Post

Similarly, conservative talk show host and blogger Hugh Hewitt tweeted that the "tug of war by MSM to try and avert attention from murder of Amb and Marines and Middle East meltdown appalling but very revealing".

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

For months prior to the vote, North Korea had engaged in a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at averting attention from the results of a UN Commission of Inquiry that investigated human rights abuses in the country.

Vice

He added, "We have somehow managed to avert our attention".

The New York Times

Even if Jobs' iPhone plans aren't what developers want to hear, the masterful speaker will likely manage to avert their attention, albeit temporarily, elsewhere.

Forbes

Anyway, isn't it better to be color-blind, to avert our attention from skin, to focus not on glaring differences, but on the commonality of character?

Huffington Post

When we see these deplorable moves to avert our attention, we must ensure that we do not fall victim to its fallacy.

Huffington Post

To avert our attention, the German government produced a pro-euro video that depicted just how multi-cultural the currency was going to be by showing a scantily-clad woman playing a violin in some poorly animated ancient Greek ruins and an Irish kid playing a flute in a meadow.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity and conciseness, consider using more common alternatives such as "divert attention" or "redirect focus" instead of "avert attention".

Common error

Avoid relying heavily on the phrase "avert attention" in formal writing. While grammatically correct, it can sound less natural than alternatives like "divert" or "redirect", making your writing seem stilted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "avert attention" functions as a verb phrase where "avert" is the transitive verb and "attention" is its direct object. It describes the action of turning or redirecting one's focus away from something. Ludwig examples show its use across various contexts, though it's less frequent than alternatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "avert attention" refers to redirecting or avoiding focus from something. While grammatically acceptable, Ludwig AI notes that it is not as commonly used as alternatives like "divert attention" or "redirect focus". Its usage spans across News & Media, Science, and Academia, with a slightly formal tone. For clearer and more concise writing, consider using the suggested alternatives. Overall, understanding its function and context will improve communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

divert attention

Emphasizes redirecting focus from one thing to another.

draw attention away from

Highlights the act of pulling focus from something.

redirect focus

Focuses on changing the direction of attention.

deflect attention

Suggests blocking or preventing attention from reaching something.

shift focus

Implies a change in the subject of attention.

turn attention away

Highlights the act of turning focus elsewhere.

draw the eye away from

Specifically relates to visual attention.

distract from

Focuses on preventing attention through distraction.

obfuscate

Implies making something unclear to avoid attention.

hide from view

Directly suggests concealing something to avoid visual attention.

FAQs

What does "avert attention" mean?

The phrase "avert attention" means to turn away or redirect focus from something. It suggests avoiding or preventing something from being noticed.

What can I say instead of "avert attention"?

You can use alternatives like "divert attention", "redirect focus", or "draw attention away from depending on the context".

How to use "avert attention" in a sentence?

Here's an example: "The government used propaganda to "avert attention" from the real issues."

Is "avert attention" formal or informal?

"Avert attention" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it might sound slightly more formal or less common than its alternatives.