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
After playing one of its best first halves of the Schaefer era, Texas was comfortably up 51-21 with just over 8 minutes remaining in the third quarter when Breya Cunningham anticipated a Georgia entry pass and deflected the ball to a teammate.
—
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
The Indiana standout tried to deflect from that line of questioning, choosing rather to shine light on his teammates or even other players.
—Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The Victoire extended their lead to 4-1 with a power-play goal early in the third on a puck that deflected awkwardly off the stick of Ljungblom — her first goal of the season — over the head of Shanahan.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The freshman made a steal and deflected the ball from an Antonian player in the fourth quarter and scored five points.
—Christina Huang, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
The Indiana standout tried to deflect from that line of questioning, choosing rather to shine light on his teammates or even other players.
—Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The Victoire extended their lead to 4-1 with a power-play goal early in the third on a puck that deflected awkwardly off the stick of Ljungblom — her first goal of the season — over the head of Shanahan.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The freshman made a steal and deflected the ball from an Antonian player in the fourth quarter and scored five points.
—Christina Huang, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 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 7 Mar. 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
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