deflected; deflecting; deflects
: to turn (something) aside especially from a straight course or fixed direction
armor that deflects bullets
deflecting attention from the troubled economy
deflect a question
: to turn aside : deviate
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
Within minutes of the foul ball being deflected, the cameras at Fox (the network airing the game) were trained on Bartman, alternating between live shots of him in the stands and replays of the ball.
—
Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 9 July 2025
High-trust organizations don’t deflect blame or delay communication.
—Brandon Spear, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
While that really isn't saying much, at least Deep Impact sends a team of astronauts (led by Robert Duvall) rather than drillers to deal with the comet hurtling toward Earth, deflecting Ben Affleck's famous critique of Armageddon.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025
Despite confirming receipt, the three agencies failed to provide records and have delayed or deflected further inquiries, the lawsuit claimed.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
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.
Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 9 July 2025
High-trust organizations don’t deflect blame or delay communication.
—Brandon Spear, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
While that really isn't saying much, at least Deep Impact sends a team of astronauts (led by Robert Duvall) rather than drillers to deal with the comet hurtling toward Earth, deflecting Ben Affleck's famous critique of Armageddon.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025
Despite confirming receipt, the three agencies failed to provide records and have delayed or deflected further inquiries, the lawsuit claimed.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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
Share