misdirection

Everyday

1. Making people look at or think about the wrong thing so they don't notice what is really happening, used by magicians and tricksters. tree →
2. Sending someone the wrong way or giving wrong instructions. tree →

In the lessons

In lessons about truth, lies and tricks: magicians use misdirection — they make you look at one hand while the other hand does the trick; scammers and some adverts use misdirection too, so pay attention to what you are not being shown. In stories: a mystery writer uses misdirection to hide the real culprit.

Examples

• The magician used misdirection to hide the coin. tree →
• While he talked, his other hand did the trick – that's misdirection. tree →
• Mystery stories use misdirection to surprise readers. tree →
• The scammer's email used misdirection to get people to click. tree →
• Pickpockets use misdirection to steal wallets. tree →
• A wrong road sign caused a lot of misdirection. tree →

Note

Usually uncountable. Prefix mis- (wrongly) + direction. Related verb: misdirect. Knowing about misdirection helps you spot tricks — it is not real magic.