deflection

noun

de·flec·tion | \ di-ˈflek-shən

, dē-\

Definition of deflection

1 : a turning aside or off course : deviation

2 : the departure of an indicator or pointer from the zero reading on the scale of an instrument

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Examples of deflection in a Sentence

measuring the angle of deflection He scored with a deflection off another player's stick.

Recent Examples on the Web

When the orphaned children approach with questions, Sithole uses tough love and deflection: Eat this. — Cara Anna, The Seattle Times, "‘It will get worse’: Perilous times for kids hit by cyclone," 26 Mar. 2019 There's More Than One Way to Vaporize An Asteroid In 2008, Iowa State University created a new center for asteroid deflection research and named Professor Bong Wie as the founding director. — Popular Mechanics, "The Asteroid Hunters," 11 Nov. 2015 An international research project from Japan and Australia offers a new potential solution: an ion beam shepherd (IBS), a still-hypothetical contactless approach originally designed for asteroid deflection. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "New Space Junk Solution Would Clean Up Debris With Ion Beams," 27 Sep. 2018 And yet little about the Washington Capitals' 4-3 overtime triumph in Game 5—clinched on Backstrom’s full-extension deflection past Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky—followed typical wisdom. — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "Despite an Uninspiring Third Period, Washington Finds a Way to Win Game 5," 21 Apr. 2018 Donovan Olumba, an undrafted corner out of Portland State, came away with an interception off a deflection on a pass thrown by Dalton Sturm. — Drew Davison, star-telegram, "Five takeaways from the Dallas Cowboys' first week of OTAs | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 23 May 2018 In his games with Kansas City, Revis had two pass deflections. — Khadrice Rollins, SI.com, "Chiefs Cut Cornerback Darrelle Revis After Less Than One Season," 8 Feb. 2018 Made a read on the pass…to get a hand on the ball, get a deflection. — Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW has learned to rely upon its defense and the results have been positive," 1 Mar. 2018 Then they are separated according to mass by accelerating them and applying electromagnetic fields, then measuring the degree of deflection. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Study brings us one step closer to solving 1994 thallium poisoning case," 25 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deflection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.