redirect

To make something move or develop in a different direction.

• Workers redirected the traffic.
• We need to redirect resources toward urgent repairs.
• The wall redirects rainwater away from the house.

How to use it: redirect something to/toward something (They redirected funding toward local schools.); redirect something away from something (The channel redirects water away from the road.)

Similar words: divert, reroute

Common phrases: redirect traffic, redirect resources, redirect the flow

To send something to a different address or location instead of the original one.

• Please redirect my mail.
• The link redirects visitors to our new website.
• All incoming emails were redirected to her assistant.

How to use it: redirect something to something (We redirected the post to our new address.); be redirected to something (You will be redirected to the payment page.)

Similar words: forward, reroute

Common phrases: redirect mail, redirect a link, redirect to something

To tell someone to go to a different place or ask a different person.

• The receptionist redirected me upstairs.
• Please redirect callers to the support team.
• Visitors were redirected to the main entrance.

How to use it: redirect someone to someone/something (The assistant redirected me to the manager.)

Similar words: refer, direct

Common phrases: redirect someone elsewhere, redirect callers, redirect enquiries

To gently guide someone toward more helpful thoughts or behaviour.

• She redirected the child toward a quieter activity.
• The therapist helped him redirect his anxious thoughts.
• Try to redirect her attention when she gets upset.

How to use it: redirect someone toward something (He redirected the children toward a cooperative game.)

Similar words: guide, refocus

Common phrases: redirect someone’s attention, redirect a child, redirect negative thoughts

A change that automatically sends a visitor or request from one address to another.

• The page has a redirect.
• We set up a redirect to the new website.
• A broken redirect sent users to the wrong page.

How to use it: a redirect from something to something (We added a redirect from the old page to the new one.)

Similar words: redirection

Common phrases: website redirect, permanent redirect, set a redirect