Collocation
change the subject
to start talking about a different topic, often to avoid an uncomfortable or unwanted one
Definition
'change the subject' is a common English collocation. to start talking about a different topic, often to avoid an uncomfortable or unwanted one
change + the subject
“Let’s change the subject and talk about your vacation instead.”
Examples
- She changed the subject when she noticed I looked upset.
- He tried to change the subject, but everyone wanted an explanation.
- Whenever money comes up, my parents immediately change the subject.
Show more examples
- I was about to ask her age, but I changed the subject at the last second.
- The interviewer changed the subject after my answer made the room go quiet.
- Can we change the subject? This is getting too personal.
- The moment his name was mentioned, she changed the subject without missing a beat.
- To avoid an argument, he changed the subject to the weather.
More verb + determiner + nouns
- make a decision to choose what to do after thinking about different options
- make a mistake to do something wrong or incorrectly
- join a meeting to enter and take part in a scheduled meeting, especially an online one
- make an excuse to invent or give a reason (often not true) to avoid doing something or to explain a mistake
- make a mess to create a dirty, untidy, or disorganized situation; to spill, scatter, or cause disorder