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
He then flat-footed a pass that was deflected.
—
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
On third-and-14, Mahomes’ next pass was deflected by a Raiders defender — yet somehow landed in the hands of Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 19-yard first down.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
Fans interpreted his remarks as throwing his teammate under the bus while deflecting blame away from himself.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Amid a scrum in the penalty area, Joel Waterman’s shot caromed off the chest of Turgeman, who inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net.
—Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Luca Evans, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
On third-and-14, Mahomes’ next pass was deflected by a Raiders defender — yet somehow landed in the hands of Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 19-yard first down.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
Fans interpreted his remarks as throwing his teammate under the bus while deflecting blame away from himself.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Amid a scrum in the penalty area, Joel Waterman’s shot caromed off the chest of Turgeman, who inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net.
—Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 18 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 23 Oct. 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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