as in to turn
to change the course or direction of (something)
the wind deflected the Frisbee just as I was about to lunge for it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflect
Stay present and engaged instead of deflecting.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Hampus Lindholm collected it and sent a blind backhand pass back to David Pastrnak at the blue line that Josh Doan got his stick on and deflected it out of the zone.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
But Minnesota tied things back up less than a minute later, when Tarasenko backhanded a shot into a yawning net with the Dallas goalie pulled out of position when Hughes’ shot was deflected at the other side of the crease.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
In the top of the 10th inning, with Drew Gilbert as the automatic runner on second, Ramos led off with a groundball single that deflected off second baseman Bryson Stott’s glove.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Hampus Lindholm collected it and sent a blind backhand pass back to David Pastrnak at the blue line that Josh Doan got his stick on and deflected it out of the zone.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
But Minnesota tied things back up less than a minute later, when Tarasenko backhanded a shot into a yawning net with the Dallas goalie pulled out of position when Hughes’ shot was deflected at the other side of the crease.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
In the top of the 10th inning, with Drew Gilbert as the automatic runner on second, Ramos led off with a groundball single that deflected off second baseman Bryson Stott’s glove.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflect
Verb
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Minnesota's Target Center turned into a political stage Saturday night as the Minnesota Lynx home opener against the Atlanta Dream was hijacked by a fan shouting anti-ICE sentiments.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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If the 2026 first-rounder didn’t convey, then the Clippers would get Indiana’s unprotected 2031 pick, which is the same year franchise star Kawhi Leonard turns 40 years old.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The Blue Jays swung at just 18% of Detmers’ pitches that were out of the zone.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
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Extra servos in the shoulders let the arms swing widely, while the leg joints allow crouching and shifting positions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The kingdom has managed to divert most of its oil exports to ports on the west coast, helping to shore up declining government revenues.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
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The Minnesota Attorney General's Office said a temporary restraining order is in place to protect the nonprofit assets from being diverted.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Sometimes it’s measured in lives redirected.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
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By widening the lens, Clark is able to redirect the book’s gaze from the mother toward a quizzical, sometimes critical, but not unaffectionate portrait of two generations of political activism, with the attendant self-involvement and domestic negligence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The ride travels on an elliptical track and whips riders around bends.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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Real estate agents whipped out their phones to put a hard sell on anything east of I-95.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflect. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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