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depistaggio

red herring, misdirection

noun deh-pees-TAHJ-joh Rare

Usage Note

Depistaggio is the deliberate act of misleading an investigation or diverting attention — 'misleading the trail' (pista = trail/track). It appears frequently in crime journalism and political contexts. The related verb is depistare ('to mislead, to throw off the scent'). The plural is regular: depistaggi.

Examples

"L'indagine fu ostacolata da un depistaggio."

Natural Translation

The investigation was hindered by a deliberate misdirection.

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