false clue that misleads or distracts attention away from a relevant or important question
Wikipedia
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Red herring - Wikipedia
February 8, 2026 - Cobbett recounted that he had once used a red herring to deflect hounds in pursuit of a hare, adding "It was a mere transitory effect of the political red-herring; for, on the Saturday, the scent became as cold as a stone." Quinion concludes: "This story, and [Cobbett's] extended repetition ...
Scribbr
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What Is a Red Herring Fallacy? | Definition & Examples
August 28, 2023 - Red herring fallacy exampleA police officer pulls a car over for speeding. The driver complains, saying that they shouldn’t pay a fine since there are so many dangerous criminals out there and the police should be chasing them instead.
Videos
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The "Red Herring" Fallacy Explained in 2 Minutes - YouTube
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What is the Red Herring Fallacy? - YouTube
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The Red Herring Fallacy: Definition & Examples (Easy Explanation) ...
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The Red Herring Fallacy: Examples | Critical Thinking Basics #Short ...
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Red Herring - Critical Thinking Fallacies | WIRELESS PHILOSOPHY ...
Part 15 - Logical Fallacies: Red Herring Fallacy 🧠🐟 Download our Logical Fallacies mini slides or book a FREE tutoring consultation! 📥🎓 Link in bio 🔗 #CriticalThinking #LogicalFallacies #MakingArguments | TikTok
What is a red herring logical fallacy?
A red herring is a misleading statement, question, or argument meant to redirect a conversation away from its original topic.
grammarly.com
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What’s a Red Herring? Definition and Examples | Grammarly
What is the difference between a red herring fallacy and a straw man fallacy?
Although both red herring fallacy and straw man fallacy are logical fallacies or reasoning errors, they denote different attempts to “win” an argument. More specifically: · A red herring fallacy refers to an attempt to change the subject and divert attention from the original issue. In other words, a seemingly solid but ultimately irrelevant argument is introduced into the discussion, either on purpose or by mistake. · A straw man fallacy involves the deliberate distortion of another person’s argument. By oversimplifying or exaggerating it, the other party creates an easy-to-refute argument an
scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › what is a red herring fallacy? | definition & examples
What Is a Red Herring Fallacy? | Definition & Examples
Is a red herring a literary device?
Red herrings can be used by writers to keep their readers in suspense or surprise them with an unexpected outcome.
grammarly.com
grammarly.com › blog › rhetorical-devices › red-herring-fallacy
What’s a Red Herring? Definition and Examples | Grammarly
Logically Fallacious
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Red Herring - Logically Fallacious
Tip: Impress your friends by telling them that there is no such fish species as a "red herring;" rather it refers to a particularly pungent fish—typically a herring but not always—that has been strongly cured in brine and/or heavily smoked.
Grammarly
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What’s a Red Herring? Definition and Examples | Grammarly
June 2, 2022 - For example, the non-sequitur fallacy, the type of fallacy where the conclusion does not logically follow the premise, is a formal fallacy. Take a look at this example of the non-sequitur fallacy: If a food is cold, then it is a dessert. Salad is cold. Therefore, salad is a dessert. The red herring fallacy falls into the other category, informal fallacies.
QuillBot
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What Is a Red Herring Fallacy? | Examples & Definition
November 13, 2025 - Example: Red herring as a literary deviceIn The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses a literary red herring in the form of the escaped convict, Selden. Although Selden is the obvious suspect in the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, it is eventually revealed that he is not ...
Effectiviology
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Red Herring: Using Irrelevant Information as a Distraction – Effectiviology
A simple example of a red herring is a corporate executive who’s asked “what do you think about your company’s new environmental policy?”, and responds by saying “the company is making great progress in product development that we hope will help our customers”. This is an example of a red herring in general and of the red herring fallacy in particular, since the executive responds to the question using irrelevant information, in an attempt to evade it and distract listeners. Other examples of red herrings appear in various contexts, and we encounter them often in our everyday life.
Helpful Professor
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15 Red Herring Fallacy Examples (2025)
September 17, 2023 - This is a red herring fallacy because what the father used to make when he was young is irrelevant from the discussion of being able to earn a living in today’s economy, and the fact that the son may need to find a higher paying job.
YourDictionary
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Red Herring Examples: Fallacies of Misdirection | YourDictionary
June 15, 2022 - Try commuting for two hours in the pouring rain!” Congratulations — you’ve just found a red herring in the wild. More everyday examples of the red herring fallacy include: Distracting a child - “You’re right, that toy in the toy shop ...
Ivy Research Writers
ivyresearchwriters.com › red-herring-fallacy-examples
Best 15 Red Herring Fallacy Examples and Definition
November 28, 2025 - Corruption discussions When asked about a mismanaged plan to combat corruption, a leader responds with economic promises such as, “What we really need is economic growth.” This is a textbook red herring because it avoids the corruption question.
Mind the Graph
mindthegraph.com › blog › red-herring-fallacy
Red Herring Fallacy: The Misconduct that We Encounter Daily - Mind the Graph Blog
August 29, 2023 - Here is an example of an incident of the red herring fallacy in real life: During a job interview, the interviewer asks a candidate about their qualifications for the position. Instead of answering the question, the candidate talks about his ...
Logical Fallacies
logicalfallacies.org › red-herring.html
Red Herring - Definition & Examples | LF
But I have to return this book to the library. I don't want to have to pay a late fee." This is a common fallacy ... The Red Herring fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when a topic is introduced in an argument that does not directly relate to the issue being discussed.
Studocu
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[Solved] What are some real life examples of the red herring fallacy - Introduction to Critical Thinking (PHL111) - Studocu
May 2, 2023 - For instance, a politician might be asked about their stance on healthcare, but they respond by discussing their opponent's voting record on unrelated issues. Question: "What is your plan to improve healthcare?"
Develop Good Habits
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5 Red Herring Fallacy Examples to Fight Irrelevant Information | Develop Good Habits
December 22, 2021 - Politician A is clearly committing a red herring fallacy. In response to a question asking about their views on immigration, A instead talks about his opponent’s stances. Even if it’s true that their opponent wants open borders and such, it is irrelevant to the topic at hand.
FinMasters
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Red Herring Fallacy: Definition and Examples
May 23, 2023 - In this example, John uses a red herring in an attempt to distract Joanna from the real issue, which is the fact that he exceeded the budget that they had both agreed upon. Red herring is an informal fallacy and, more specifically, belongs to ...
Practical Psychology
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Red Herring Fallacy (29 Examples + Definition) - Practical Psychology
October 19, 2023 - This is a red herring fallacy because it moves the focus from your cheating to others' actions. The actions of others don't justify your own wrongdoing. "The real problem is the lack of family values," during a conversation about rising crime rates.
BachelorPrint
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Red Herring Fallacy ~ Definition, Meaning & Examples
Colleague B (using the red herring fallacy): “I can’t believe we’re here to discuss safety measures in our plant when the real issue is our outdated break room.
Microsoft
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What is a red herring logical fallacy? Definitions and examples – Microsoft 365
March 12, 2025 - Other informal fallacies, like a straw man argument, also distract from the main premise of an argument. Although similar to a red herring, a straw man argument mischaracterizes the opposing opinion to win a debate. While red herrings distract from the main point of an argument, they don’t distort reality.
Reality Team
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What is a Red Herring Fallacy in Propaganda? | Reality Team
April 23, 2024 - What do they look like? A candidate might answer an accusation of sexual misconduct by talking about how his company hires lots of women. A president might change the subject to distract us from a policy weakness.
Vaia
vaia.com › red herring
Red Herring: Definition & Examples | Vaia
When you read something that “smells fishy,” don’t let that smell drift by without inspection. When someone moves from one argument to another, always think back to the original argument. Is this new argument important to the original, or is this a red herring? If it is a red herring, point out the fallacy and return to the original argument.
Quora
quora.com › What-are-some-real-life-examples-of-red-herring-fallacies
What are some real life examples of red herring fallacies? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): It is good that Angular Energy aka John Mandlbaur has posted an answer here, because he is the real expert on this topic. He does it all the time. Quora is flooded with John’s red herrings. Of course his answer has been downvoted and collapsed, as it undoubtedly deserves, so you ...