Distracts is a word commonly used to describe something that takes away your attention from what you were intended to focus on. Some common synonyms for the word distract include divert, sidetrack, interrupt, and disturb. These words can be used interchangeably with distract in most situations. Divert means to turn someone's attention to something else, while sidetrack refers to the state of someone being taken off their course or focus. Interrupt means to cut off someone's train of thought, speech or attention, and disturb means to disrupt one's peace, concentration, or thoughts. Using any of these synonyms instead of distract can help you to add variety to your writing and effectively communicate your ideas.