diversion

/daɪˈvɜrʒən/
noun
  1. Something that takes your attention away from what you are doing or thinking about; a form of entertainment or recreation.
    • Reading a good book is my favorite diversion after a long day at work.
    • The park offers many diversions, including a playground and a skateboard ramp.
    • He used video games as a diversion from his homework.
  2. A change in the direction or route of something, especially traffic or a road.
    • Follow the signs for the diversion around the flooded area.
    • The construction on Main Street forced a diversion that added ten minutes to my drive.
    • The police set up a traffic diversion to allow the parade to pass safely.
  3. A tactic used to draw attention away from the real target or activity, especially in military or strategic contexts.
    • The magician's assistant created a diversion so the audience wouldn't see the trick.
    • The spy created a diversion by setting off a fire alarm.
    • The small attack on the east wall was a diversion to hide the main assault from the north.