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
Colorado answered just past the midway point of the game when a Brent Burns shot from the blue line was deflected by Parker Kelly and past Wallstedt.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Patel sparred with multiple lawmakers during Tuesday’s contentious hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, often deflecting questions from Democrats with his own accusations of wrongdoing.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Holy Innocents’ scored the game’s only goal less than five minutes into the second half when a free kick by the Golden Bears’ Paige Jacquin found the net after deflecting off a Wesleyan player in a logjam in front of the net.
—Chip Saye, AJC.com, 13 May 2026
Berenger won’t be able to get out of this jam, though deflecting the unwanted is one of his specialties.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Patel sparred with multiple lawmakers during Tuesday’s contentious hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, often deflecting questions from Democrats with his own accusations of wrongdoing.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Holy Innocents’ scored the game’s only goal less than five minutes into the second half when a free kick by the Golden Bears’ Paige Jacquin found the net after deflecting off a Wesleyan player in a logjam in front of the net.
—Chip Saye, AJC.com, 13 May 2026
Berenger won’t be able to get out of this jam, though deflecting the unwanted is one of his specialties.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
