Divert (verb)

1. To cause to change direction or turn aside.
2. To cause to be preoccupied with something other than the original task or purpose.

Origin:

Late middle english: from latin divertere "turn aside, spend time", from di- "apart" + vertere "to turn".

Examples:

1. The pilot was forced to divert the flight to a different airport due to bad weather.
2. The traffic was diverted around the construction site to allow for repairs to be made.
3. He had to divert his attention from work to deal with a personal issue.
4. She found it hard to divert her mind from the upcoming exam.
5. The company decided to divert its resources to developing a new product line.