red herring

[red her-ing] / ˈrɛd ˈhɛr ɪŋ /

NOUN

misleading clue

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ploy smokescreen

WEAK

attention-grabber bait commotion curve ball deviation distraction distractor disturbance diversion diversionary tactic false clue false face false trail fool's errand gimmick interruption maneuver wild-goose chase

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.

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

From Barron's

In an email over the weekend, he wrote that attributing Friday’s drop to Warsh’s nomination is a “red herring.”

From MarketWatch

Meanwhile, the audience is being thrown enough red herrings to be barking like seals.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rather than seeking common ground, Sacks calls criticism "a red herring" from AI doomers "who want all progress to stop."

From Barron's