red herring

noun
UK: /ˌred ˈher.ɪŋ/
US: /ˌred ˈher.ɪŋ/

  1. A fact or idea that takes your attention away from something more important.

    1. The police said the anonymous call was just a red herring.
    2. The detective quickly realized that the seemingly important clue was actually a red herring designed to mislead him.

Synonyms

distraction smoke screen diversion
red herring verb

  1. To deliberately try to trick someone by giving them information that is not important or true.

    1. Don't let him red herring you; focus on the main problem.
    2. The politician attempted to red herring the public by shifting the discussion to irrelevant details.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "red herring" is /ˌred ˈher.ɪŋ/ in British English and /ˌred ˈher.ɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "red herring": distraction, smoke screen, diversion.

Example usage of "red herring": "The police said the anonymous call was just a red herring.". More examples on the page.