desviar

Senses

1. 1.

   to divert, to redirect

   to change the direction or course of something

2. 2.

   to look away, to avert

   to turn one's eyes or gaze away from something

3. 3.

   to embezzle, to misappropriate

   to illegally take money or resources for personal use

4. 4.

   to dodge, to avoid

   to move out of the way or evade something

Examples

• "A polícia desviou o trânsito por causa do acidente."

  The police diverted traffic because of the accident.

• "Ela desviou o olhar quando ele entrou na sala."

  She looked away when he entered the room.

• "O motorista desviou do buraco na estrada."

  The driver swerved to avoid the pothole in the road.

Usage

Common pronominal form is "desviar-se" (to deviate, to veer off). Often used with prepositions: "desviar de" (to avoid/dodge something), "desviar o olhar" (to look away), "desviar dinheiro" (to embezzle money). The embezzlement sense is common in news reporting about corruption.