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direct

[dih-rekt, dahy-] / dɪˈrɛkt, daɪ- /










Usage

What are other ways to say direct? To direct is to give information for guidance, or instructions or orders for a course of procedure: to direct someone to the station. To conduct is to precede or escort them to a place, sometimes with a degree of ceremony: to conduct a guest to his room. Guide implies continuous presence or agency in showing or indicating a course: to guide a traveler. To lead is to bring them onward in a course, guiding by contact or by going in advance; hence, figuratively, to influence or induce to some course of conduct: to lead a procession; to lead astray.

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.

See Examples For:

When that trade wobbles, Chinese tech doesn’t need a direct financial link to catch the chill.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 28, 2026

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a semiconductor device that uses laser light to direct the movement of electrons without requiring an applied electric field or electrical power source.

From Science Daily Jul. 28, 2026

But UC as an institution played no direct part in that case or any of the others brought to challenge Trump’s assault on the university.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 28, 2026

The living space features a cozy fireplace and access to the direct ocean views.

From MarketWatch Jul. 28, 2026

Every Sunday morning, our congregation would pray for the safety of our leaders, and for these courageous children and their families engaging in sit-ins and other direct forms of protest.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

The order directs the Department of Interior to issue the warnings, and also to direct people about where they can find "accurate information regarding America's history".

From BBC Jul. 25, 2026

The nanoparticles carried messenger RNA that directs cells to produce PTEN, a protein that helps prevent uncontrolled tumor growth.

From Science Daily Jul. 17, 2026

The contract directs Capitol Hill-headquartered Ervin Graves Strategy Group to engage with the US Congress and government, and facilitate meetings including with Pentagon and National Security Council officials.

From Barron's Jul. 17, 2026

Whether she directs that talent toward good or evil varies from episode to episode, but she embodies the scrappy, anarchic spirit of old-time New York.

From Salon Jul. 1, 2026

He directs his gaze at a patch of sand between his feet as he makes this de-claration; then he stops talking.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

A rare alternate poster for the 1999 film “Cradle Will Rock,” which I wrote and directed.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 28, 2026

Milei, who provided no concrete evidence of such a campaign or its alleged funding, appeared to be referring in part to criticism directed at Argentina's national team during the World Cup.

From Barron's Jul. 26, 2026

The film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who Gosling described as the "only" director for the project.

From BBC Jul. 26, 2026

Twenty years later, the Tony-winning smash musical comes to the big screen in a version filmed on the West End in 2025, directed by Brett Sullivan.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 24, 2026

“Then let’s get Nell here into her uniform as fast as we can,” Mr. Pinkerton directed.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Meta has been directing its spending toward building out more AI revenue streams in addition to its core advertising business.

From MarketWatch Jul. 28, 2026

Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the authors write, tried to ensure that only “honest but unfortunate” debtors benefited from bankruptcy’s by directing “professional bankrupts . . . to restitution or jail.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 27, 2026

The report says the Switzerland-based Oak Foundation gave ELI $650,000 for its judicial education project while directing at least $37 million to a variety of China-based initiatives, including millions to climate-related projects.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 27, 2026

He recently told his manager he doesn’t want to take any TV directing jobs that require him to be out of town.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 24, 2026

But, tell the truth, she’d been too busy directing the school’s Christmas play to worry much about him.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns




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