deflect

verb

de·​flect di-ˈflekt How to pronounce deflect (audio)
dē-
deflected; deflecting; deflects

transitive verb

: 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

intransitive verb

: to turn aside : deviate
the shot deflected off the goalie's shoulder pad
deflectable adjective
deflective adjective
deflector noun

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 Trump deflected, again attempting to turn the focus of the interview onto Facebook. Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 Hur largely deflected, leaving neither side satisfied. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 In a statement, Smart & Final deflected responsibility for the incident, saying the allegations of mistreatment did not involve any Smart & Final employees, only the security guard. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 And when asked postgame about the source of her competitive fuel, Watkins deflected onto her teammates with a bashful grin. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 9 Mar. 2024 Korbin Albert nearly joined Moultrie in claiming a first USWNT goal, jogging in to cap a simple 44th minute attacking sequence, only for Gabriella Cuevas to arrive to barely deflect the effort onto the crossbar. Jason Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 Henrique then deflected in a shot from the point by Jackson LaCombe to give the Ducks a 5-3 lead heading into the third. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 That’s deflected in the Vales each character possesses: Duth, Faith, Justice, Power and Truth. Rob Wieland, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Adams has repeatedly deflected questions about the investigation while stressing that he has not officially been accused of wrongdoing. Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Latin deflectere to bend down, turn aside, from de- + flectere to bend

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of deflect was circa 1555

Dictionary Entries Near deflect

Cite this Entry

“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deflect

verb
de·​flect di-ˈflekt How to pronounce deflect (audio)
: to turn or cause to turn aside (as from a course, direction, or position)
a bullet deflected by striking a wall
deflection
-ˈflek-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on deflect

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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