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
Coming off the positive of his first career touchdown Saturday, Perich mostly deflected questions on what this moment meant for him, especially in the context of the Cal game.
—
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
Many hostage families have blamed the Israeli leader for prolonging the war, deflecting responsibility for the October 7 attacks, and sabotaging negotiations around the release of the hostages and an end to the war.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Chris Richards had a chance saved off the post, Balogun curled one just off target, while an Aidan Morris shot unfortunately deflected off Tim Weah.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
But behind the scenes, Republican insiders say there’s anything but silence about the audit, describing a flurry of private conversations where people from various wings of the party are trying to both deflect and cast blame.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
Many hostage families have blamed the Israeli leader for prolonging the war, deflecting responsibility for the October 7 attacks, and sabotaging negotiations around the release of the hostages and an end to the war.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Chris Richards had a chance saved off the post, Balogun curled one just off target, while an Aidan Morris shot unfortunately deflected off Tim Weah.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
But behind the scenes, Republican insiders say there’s anything but silence about the audit, describing a flurry of private conversations where people from various wings of the party are trying to both deflect and cast blame.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 10 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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
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