deflected; deflecting; deflects
1
: to cause (something) to change direction especially from a straight course
armor that deflects bullets
deflecting attention from the troubled economy
deflect a question
2
: to keep (something, as a question) from affecting or being directed at a person or thing
was able to deflect criticism
: to hit something and change direction
the shot deflected off the goalie's shoulder pad
Examples of deflect in a Sentence
armor that can deflect bullets
The goalie deflected the ball with his hands.
The ball deflected off the goalie's shoulder.
They are trying to deflect attention from the troubled economy.
The blame was deflected from the chairman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hegardt slid and deflected a Lopez pass out of bounds.
—
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Gun down enemies Contra-style, deflect bullets, and enter bullet-time to make quick work of your foes.
—PC Magazine, 1 Nov. 2025
Their only goal came from Jean-Philippe Mateta deflecting a Will Hughes shot despite having 74 per cent possession and 25 shots.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
This includes developing ways to deflect or disperse an object on a collision course and warning and emergency response planning for unexpected or unpreventable impacts.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Gun down enemies Contra-style, deflect bullets, and enter bullet-time to make quick work of your foes.
—PC Magazine, 1 Nov. 2025
Their only goal came from Jean-Philippe Mateta deflecting a Will Hughes shot despite having 74 per cent possession and 25 shots.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
This includes developing ways to deflect or disperse an object on a collision course and warning and emergency response planning for unexpected or unpreventable impacts.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deflect
verb
de·flect
di-ˈflekt 
: to turn or cause to turn aside (as from a course, direction, or position)
a bullet deflected by striking a wall
deflection
noun
-ˈflek-shən
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