deflected; deflecting; deflects
: to turn (something) aside especially from a straight course or fixed direction
armor that deflects bullets
deflecting attention from the troubled economy
deflect a question
: to turn aside : deviate
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
Rao and another ex-Ozy Media executive cooperated with prosecutors, which hurt Watson's attempts to deflect blame.
—
Sara Fischer, Axios, 16 July 2024
As Enzo Fernández fired a low bid from the top of the box, Messi slipped through traffic and deflected the shot past Crépeau for his first goal of the tournament.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 10 July 2024
With nobody on base and one out in the inning, Cody Bellinger hit a ground ball that deflected off Kremer and rolled to Henderson at shortstop.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2024
However, Canada ended up losing 2-0 as Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi deflected in the second goal to put the match out of reach in the second half.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for deflect 
Sara Fischer, Axios, 16 July 2024
As Enzo Fernández fired a low bid from the top of the box, Messi slipped through traffic and deflected the shot past Crépeau for his first goal of the tournament.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 10 July 2024
With nobody on base and one out in the inning, Cody Bellinger hit a ground ball that deflected off Kremer and rolled to Henderson at shortstop.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2024
However, Canada ended up losing 2-0 as Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi deflected in the second goal to put the match out of reach in the second half.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for deflect
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deflect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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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