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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Recent Examples of deflected
Kempe deflected Panarin’s low-flying shot upward and inside the right post for his first playoff goal after leading the Kings during the season.
—
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
Jacques scored when a clearing attempt from a Toronto defender deflected off him at the corner of the 18-yard box and went into the goal.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
While Smith tactfully deflected that question, Church and other supporters would like to see a portion of the downtown building used for a larger display of his work.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
This referred to the fact that the Cyg X-1 jets seemed to be getting deflected in different directions as the star and black hole orbited each other.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Two shifts later, the building fell silent as Hartman deflected in an ankle-high pass from Brock Faber to make it 3-0.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Martone deflected a point shot from Matvei Michkov, the 21-year-old Russian who navigated an uneven first half of the season only to heat up as the games heightened in importance down the stretch.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
McTavish deflected a shot by Mikael Granlund for his second goal of the night and his 17th of the season.
—Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
In September 2014, during a 3-2 victory over Barcelona, the Brazilian threw himself in the way of a close-range Jordi Alba shot, blocked the effort brilliantly and celebrated wildly after the ball was deflected behind.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
Jacques scored when a clearing attempt from a Toronto defender deflected off him at the corner of the 18-yard box and went into the goal.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
While Smith tactfully deflected that question, Church and other supporters would like to see a portion of the downtown building used for a larger display of his work.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
This referred to the fact that the Cyg X-1 jets seemed to be getting deflected in different directions as the star and black hole orbited each other.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Two shifts later, the building fell silent as Hartman deflected in an ankle-high pass from Brock Faber to make it 3-0.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Martone deflected a point shot from Matvei Michkov, the 21-year-old Russian who navigated an uneven first half of the season only to heat up as the games heightened in importance down the stretch.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
McTavish deflected a shot by Mikael Granlund for his second goal of the night and his 17th of the season.
—Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
In September 2014, during a 3-2 victory over Barcelona, the Brazilian threw himself in the way of a close-range Jordi Alba shot, blocked the effort brilliantly and celebrated wildly after the ball was deflected behind.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflected
Verb
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The game swung on these knife-edge moments, but the actual performance levels were similar from both teams.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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But as the ball swung around the perimeter, opportunities arose for the likes of Dosunmu and McDaniels to crack the paint off the bounce.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the 24-year-old has offered little to suggest a corner is going to be turned.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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When the Fed began raising rates in 2022, the correlation between stocks and bonds turned positive — meaning that bonds weren’t the portfolio ballast investors were expecting.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Those three words — which end up being alien, glamorous, and whipped — will shape their dishes.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
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But Reigns whipped Punk into the barricade and continued his assault in the crowd.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Traffic was being diverted, and drivers were urged to avoid the area and use Miami Gardens Drive, 183rd Street, as an alternate route.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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Officers diverted traffic between Auto Mall Parkway and Doane Street onto Grimmer Boulevard.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Judd redirected Paul Marie's cross in the 83rd and the duo combined for the forward's fifth goal of the season on a header in the 89th.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
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His arrival comes when the world’s attention has been redirected towards the war in the Middle East.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflected. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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