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
The star defender touched on the schedule during his press conference, deflecting the question about facing his former team in Week 4.
—
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Vogt, though, deflects credit to his players.
—John Perrotto, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Bailey wound up deflecting 21 throws and picking off 10 others.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The Quakes’ Chicho Arango almost equalized things but his shot from the top of the box was deflected and then tipped over the crossbar by Austin goalkeeper by Brad Stuver over the crossbar.
—Jon Becker, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Vogt, though, deflects credit to his players.
—John Perrotto, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Bailey wound up deflecting 21 throws and picking off 10 others.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The Quakes’ Chicho Arango almost equalized things but his shot from the top of the box was deflected and then tipped over the crossbar by Austin goalkeeper by Brad Stuver over the crossbar.
—Jon Becker, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflect
Verb
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Their next goal is to turn the system into a practical tool for early fire detection.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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While wildfire season in Arizona used to arrive in spring and reliably end by the monsoon, fire seasons have turned into fire years as the blazes become more erratic and frequent.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For a locker room that’s been through a lot because the front office swung and missed on the worst quarterback trade in NFL history.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And major studios are making fewer prestige films of the kind that once used Toronto as a launching pad, preferring to divert more resources to action-heavy blockbusters and family fare.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
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Talk of bringing in the National Guard is less a solution than a distraction — a show of force that diverts attention away from the deeper investments communities need.—
Debra Gittler,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deadheading redirects energy from seed production to root and vegetative growth of annuals and perennials.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
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To counter this dynamic, Newhouse thinks lawmakers, those in charge of news coverage, and even interested onlookers should redirect attention away from individual perpetrators.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His best friend’s little sister sets out to whip him back into shape.—
Tessa Bailey,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Boaters were the last to be warned to watch the sky as a line of wind-whipping storms pushed out to sea.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflect. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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