deflection

noun

de·​flec·​tion di-ˈflek-shən 

dē-

1

: the act of changing or causing to change direction

2

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

Synonyms of deflection

• deviation
• departure

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

Tillman buried his shot past legendary Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois thanks to a deflection off one of Belgium’s defenders. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026

Cape Verde nearly upset the defending champions before a Lionel Messi corner kick made its way into the goal off a deflection from Diney Borges, which sealed the 3-2 victory for Argentina in extra time. — Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

After a series of deflections inside the box, the ball found its way hovering toward Ronaldo from just about four yards from the box and the Spain goalkeeper out of position. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2026

Yet again, a corner helped put Argentina ahead, Cristian Romero glancing it in via a deflection from Diney. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for deflection

• abjection
• advection
• affection
• bijection
• bisection
• collection
• complexion
• confection
• connection
• connexion
• convection
• correction

Medical Definition

deflection

noun

de·​flec·​tion di-ˈflek-shən 

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

deflect

di-ˈflekt 

verb