Red Herring

Synonyms of red herring

• distraction
• decoy
• smoke screen

Antonyms of red herring

• relevant clue
• valid evidence
• important lead

Collocations of red herring

false lead

Frequency: 80 %

The planted evidence was a false lead, a red herring meant to throw off the detectives.

distraction

Frequency: 70 %

The noise outside was just a distraction, a red herring to throw us off.

misdirection

Frequency: 60 %

The misleading clues were just a form of misdirection, a red herring to confuse the investigators.

smokescreen

Frequency: 50 %

The elaborate story was just a smokescreen, a red herring to conceal the truth.

decoy

Frequency: 45 %

The suspicious behavior was just a decoy, a red herring to divert attention from the real culprit.

Idiomatic Expressions for red herring

• Phrase: Throw out a red herring
  Meaning: To introduce a misleading or distracting clue or piece of information that diverts attention from the real issue.
  Usage: The politician tried to throw out a red herring during the debate to avoid answering the tough questions.