red herring

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Baroness Grey-Thompson, who opposes the bill, said peers had been scrutinising the bill line by line and it was a "red herring" to criticise the number of amendments tabled.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

“The childish scribbling handwriting is also a red herring for some of the more serious and sinister themes in the book, “ says Cash.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Just recall, though, that “This time is different” is a notorious red herring.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Cardenas, noting that all the contributions he receives from those who come before the board are fully disclosed, calls the issue a red herring.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

As we saw in chapter 4, many prepositions, such as after and before, take either one, so the question of whether like is a conjunction is a red herring.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker