deflection

noun

de·flec·tion | \ di-ˈflek-shən

How to pronounce deflection (audio)

, 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 On the fourth-down play, Todd threw a Hail Mary down the field, which was caught on a deflection by Swanwick at the Ubly 20 with 8 seconds left in the half. — Keith Dunlap, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan high school football: Centreville shuts out Ubly to win Division 8 state title," 22 Jan. 2021 The Kings scored their next goal on a skate deflection in front before eventually carrying a two-goal lead into the third period. — Sarah Mclellan, Star Tribune, "Wild goalie Cam Talbot takes the good breaks with the bad," 17 Jan. 2021 Barnett hooked up with Massey on a 3-pointer to hit that difference on the scoreboard, as the basketball zipped from Randy Zimmerman on the rebound to Thomas Krizsa on a deflection and into the hands of Barnett. — Matt Goul, cleveland, "No. 13 Brunswick rides Tre Massey’s hot shots, Marquis Barnett’s big game to 78-57 win vs. Euclid," 16 Jan. 2021 Some of us value flat trajectory more than minimized wind deflection, some vice versa. — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, "The 6.5 Creedmoor is Not the Ultimate Super Cartridge," 10 Sep. 2020 The Kings’ opening two were also scrappy: a scramble in front Gabriel Vilardi poked in around the crease, and a pinballing deflection by Blake Lizotte on a Drew Doughty slap shot. — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, "Kings blow another third-period lead in overtime loss to Wild," 16 Jan. 2021 De’Andre Coleman, Hueytown: Ran 11 times for 46 yards and five scores, adding five catches for 42 yards, three 2-point conversions, a 15-yard pass completion and a pass deflection on defense that sealed the win over McAdory. — Dennis Victory, al, "Vote for the Hollis Wright Birmingham area top football performance for Week 9," 18 Oct. 2020 Known as a deflection center, the new facility would be a place for officers to take people who are homeless or in a mental health crisis. — Dallas News, "Dallas County and Parkland are cutting their tax rates, but your tax bill may still go up," 15 Sep. 2020 To know just how big an evacuation or a deflection mission would need to be, those future planners would rely in part on data gathered more than a century earlier, by a NASA spacecraft launching this September. — Dante S. Lauretta, Scientific American, "To Bennu and Back," 1 Aug. 2016

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.

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Dictionary Entries near deflection

deflection bracket

deflection offset

deflection shooting

Statistics for deflection

Last Updated

13 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Deflection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflection. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for deflection

deflection

noun

English Language Learners Definition of deflection

: the act of changing or causing something to change direction

See the full definition for deflection in the English Language Learners Dictionary

deflection

noun

de·flec·tion | \ di-ˈflek-shən

\

Medical Definition of deflection

1 : a turning aside or deviation from a straight line

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

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