1. A clue or piece of information that is misleading or distracting; something that diverts attention from the main issue
The detective realized the suspect's alibi was a red herring designed to confuse the investigation.
O detetive percebeu que o álibi do suspeito era uma pista falsa elaborada para confundir a investigação.
2. An argument or topic introduced to divert attention from the real issue being discussed
Bringing up his past mistakes is just a red herring; we should focus on the current problem.
Trazer à tona os erros do passado dele é apenas uma distração; devemos focar no problema atual.