despistar

A very common verb meaning to throw someone off track, mislead, or confuse — despistar a la policía (throw off the police), un titular que despista (a misleading headline). The reflexive despistarse means to get distracted, lose track of what's happening, or lose your way, and es un despistado/a ("a scatterbrained/absent-minded person") is a common everyday description.

• El ladrón despistó a la policía cambiando de ruta. — The thief threw off the police by changing routes.
• Me despisté y perdí la parada del autobús. — I got distracted and missed my bus stop.
• Es un poco despistado, siempre olvida las llaves. — He's a bit absent-minded, he always forgets his keys.

Confusing despistar (to mislead/throw off track) with despistarse (to become distracted yourself) — the non-reflexive form acts on someone else, while the reflexive form describes your own lapse of attention.