detract attention

USAGE SUMMARY

"detract attention" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when something takes attention away from something else. For example, "The loud noises from outside distracted me and detracted attention from the teacher's lesson."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

49 human-written examples

"The church brings forth the victims to detract attention," she said.

The New York Times

Yet the impressive roof trick also served to detract attention from what was going on underground.

The New York Times - Arts

It is a vacuous attempt to detract attention from the glaring reality of these measures".

The Guardian

Representative Maxine Waters of California suggested that the critics were trying to detract attention from the panel's findings.

The New York Times

British pop stars will apparently do anything to simultaneously create publicity and detract attention from their actual music.

The Guardian

The visa issue threatens to detract attention from Ms. Yingluck's economic agenda, which includes sharp rises in minimum wages and guaranteed prices for rice.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

11 human-written examples

This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavors to fix the problems of the past".

The New York Times

"This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past".

The Guardian

"The focus on just the exchange rate is detracting attention from much more fundamental issues," he said during the forum with Mr. Zhou and Mr. Strauss-Kahn.

The New York Times

No one but the most specialized European observer can follow this summitry, which analysts say detracts attention from many of the real reforms required.

The New York Times

I do not support the policy, but I worry that the campaign against it is detracting attention from more significant changes.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "detract attention" when you want to describe how something draws focus away from a primary subject. Ensure the context clearly indicates what is losing attention and what is gaining it.

Common error

Avoid using "detract attention" in contexts where the secondary subject doesn't actually steal focus from the main subject. Overloading the sentence with irrelevant details can weaken the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "detract attention" functions as a verb phrase, where 'detract' acts as a transitive verb requiring an object (attention). Ludwig AI confirms its usage and grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "detract attention" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression, as affirmed by Ludwig AI. It signifies the act of drawing focus away from a particular subject, often intentionally to redirect interest or obscure importance. As evidenced by the many examples found, its usage spans across diverse contexts, with News & Media being the most common. While suitable for neutral and professional settings, users should be mindful of potential misuse by ensuring that the secondary subject genuinely diverts focus from the primary one. Alternatives like "divert focus" or "draw focus away" offer similar meanings with subtle variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

draw attention away from

Adds precision by explicitly stating "away from", indicating a specific source being diverted from.

divert focus

Shifts the emphasis from 'attention' to 'focus', implying a change in concentration.

draw focus away

Emphasizes the act of pulling focus from something else.

shift the spotlight

Uses a metaphorical expression to convey the redirection of attention.

deflect interest

Replaces 'attention' with 'interest', suggesting a broader appeal.

diminish prominence

Focuses on reducing the importance or visibility of something.

reduce emphasis

Highlights the lessening of importance placed on a particular subject.

obscure the significance

Focuses on making something less noticeable or important.

downplay the importance

Emphasizes minimizing the perceived value or relevance.

lessen the impact

Concentrates on reducing the effect or influence of something.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "detract attention" in a sentence?

Use "detract attention" to show how one thing draws focus away from another, for example: "The scandal was designed to "detract attention" from the government's failings."

What are some alternatives to "detract attention"?

Alternatives include "divert focus", "draw focus away", or "deflect interest" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "detract attention from"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The preposition "from" is often used to specify what the attention is being drawn away from. For instance, "The magician's flashy tricks detracted attention from the fact that the assistant was doing most of the work."

What is the difference between "distract attention" and "detract attention"?

"Distract attention" generally means to divert focus momentarily, while "detract attention" implies a more significant and lasting reduction in focus on the original subject. While similar, "detract attention" suggests a more deliberate shift of focus.