Idiom
change the channel
Meaning
To redirect someone’s attention.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He changed the channel when the conversation became uncomfortable.”
“She noticed her friend was getting upset, so she changed the channel by asking about his upcoming vacation.”
“Sensing the mounting tension in the room, the diplomat skillfully changed the channel to a more neutral topic of discussion.”
Examples
simple
“He changed the channel when the conversation became uncomfortable.”
contextual
“She noticed her friend was getting upset, so she changed the channel by asking about his upcoming vacation.”
complex
“Sensing the mounting tension in the room, the diplomat skillfully changed the channel to a more neutral topic of discussion.”
Origin
From the mid-20th century, in allusion to the operation of a television set.
Key words
Related idioms
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