as in swung
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 deflected
For weeks, Pelosi had deflected questions about her political future, insisting her central focus was on ensuring that Prop 50 redistricting ballot measure passed in California.
—
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
One idea suggests that the electron-positron pairs are deflected by weak intergalactic magnetic fields and that this bounces low-energy gamma-rays out of our line of sight.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Hegardt slid and deflected a Lopez pass out of bounds.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
But the loose puck in the crease deflected off the knee pad of a Jets defender and in.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
In his first comments since, Barmore, who declined to speak after the game, deflected Wednesday when asked what led to his apparent benching.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Moody, who rarely takes credit for his big scoring nights, deflected attention to the collective when questioned about his hot shooting.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Building alliances before a crisis or conflict arises can actually help deter attacks, or ensure that they are deflected to easier targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
Compher deflected in a Travis Hamonic point shot 27 seconds after that.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
One idea suggests that the electron-positron pairs are deflected by weak intergalactic magnetic fields and that this bounces low-energy gamma-rays out of our line of sight.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Hegardt slid and deflected a Lopez pass out of bounds.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
But the loose puck in the crease deflected off the knee pad of a Jets defender and in.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
In his first comments since, Barmore, who declined to speak after the game, deflected Wednesday when asked what led to his apparent benching.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Moody, who rarely takes credit for his big scoring nights, deflected attention to the collective when questioned about his hot shooting.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Building alliances before a crisis or conflict arises can actually help deter attacks, or ensure that they are deflected to easier targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
Compher deflected in a Travis Hamonic point shot 27 seconds after that.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflected
Verb
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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
-
Rojas swung, and an undeniable crack of the bat followed.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ovechkin gathered the puck on his forehand, quickly turned it over to his backhand and whipped it into the net.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
-
His solo debut, Barbarian, made more than $45 million on a budget of less than $5 million, and now Warners was entrusting the actor turned director with a movie costing eight times that.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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LaVine and Monk whipped the crowd into a frenzy, combining to make 17 of 32 from the field and 10 of 18 from 3-point range as the Kings bounced back from a season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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The cold brew is bitter but topped with a fluffy, whipped cold foam that tastes almondy, sweet and spice-filled.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The pilots diverted the flight to Buffalo to attempt an emergency landing.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
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Later, if the user pastes normally, they could be redirected to phishing sites and have sensitive log-in information stolen, including MFA (multifactor authentication) codes.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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In March 2023, Phillip signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, then he was redirected to the Denver Broncos before the season started.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflected. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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