deflect

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of deflect Gun down enemies Contra-style, deflect bullets, and enter bullet-time to make quick work of your foes. PC Magazine, 1 Nov. 2025 Their only goal came from Jean-Philippe Mateta deflecting a Will Hughes shot despite having 74 per cent possession and 25 shots. Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025 This includes developing ways to deflect or disperse an object on a collision course and warning and emergency response planning for unexpected or unpreventable impacts. Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025 John Keegan, the great military historian, wrote once that, paradoxically, the German tactics upon retreat from the D-Day invasion were a kind of early working model for NATO to deflect a potential Soviet one. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deflect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflect
Verb
  • Yuileta Lopez, a teen growing up in Texas, decides to turn her anger and outrage into activism.
    Amber McBride, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The surge in demand is already driving up energy prices and fueling political backlash as sprawling data centers turn into election-season flashpoints in the communities where they are being constructed.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The election will be a test of whether Mamdani, and his focus on lowering the cost of living, can bring back nonwhite voters who swung to the right.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
  • When the Ferris wheel goes, the cars are supposed to swing with it, but it got stuck.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The $155,000 figure was within a range covered by insurance, and FBI investigators found that no individual donor funds were diverted before they were deposited into the Bright Futures Fund, Johnston wrote.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Videos taken by witnesses show cars diverting and driving away from the scene after capturing the fireball that lights up moments after the crash.
    Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • If you're redirected to a CAPTCHA on an unfamiliar site or after clicking a suspicious link, stop immediately.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • These practices help to declutter my mind and redirect my neural traffic.
    Essence, Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Sides of salad, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, whipped sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, buttered corn, stuffing and cranberry sauce can be purchased a la carte.
    Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Somebody could come up and whip us.
    Frank DiGiacomo, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflect. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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