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
This one came after Delanie Sheehan penetrated the defense and zipped an effective pass to Ryan, who put the shot on net, but MacIver deflected it out of bounds.
—
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Siegenthaler faked a shot from the high slot and slid a pass to Jack Hughes in the right circle, where his one timer deflected off Bratt.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Blue Origin, the spaceflight company founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, intends to deploy its cutting-edge Blue Ring spacecraft to use multiple techniques intercept, deflect or even crash into an asteroid with the goal of redirecting its trajectory away from Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
At the Berlin International Film Festival last month, which is known for embracing political discussion, Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris were blasted for trying to deflect political questions.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Siegenthaler faked a shot from the high slot and slid a pass to Jack Hughes in the right circle, where his one timer deflected off Bratt.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Blue Origin, the spaceflight company founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, intends to deploy its cutting-edge Blue Ring spacecraft to use multiple techniques intercept, deflect or even crash into an asteroid with the goal of redirecting its trajectory away from Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
At the Berlin International Film Festival last month, which is known for embracing political discussion, Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris were blasted for trying to deflect political questions.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 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 31 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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