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Showing results for red herring. Search instead for speicherriegel.
Definitions

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.

“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

But in the case of Iran, the whole exercise is a bit of a red herring.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

But Prime Minister Keir Starmer vehemently denied the accusations in parliament as "a red herring" and "completely scurrilous".

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

This subsidy thing is, again, a red herring.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 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