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
The governor deflected to a rant about a DOJ lawsuit filed Wednesday over her refusal to reverse a RMV policy banning ICE from obtaining undercover license plates.
—
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
Neto then singled when his comebacker deflected off pitcher Will Vest.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
The Spurs keep taking the bait on the gaps the Thunder defense does yield, then watching the ball get deflected or even intercepted.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Kazuma Okamoto followed with an RBI single that was deflected into left field by third baseman Javier Sanoja.
—Miami Herald, 26 May 2026
Moments after MacKinnon got hurt, Keegan Kolesar deflected a shot off the pipe, then poked the rebound past goalie Scott Wedgewood to tie the score at 3.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
The Wave fired four shots over the final seven minutes of stoppage time, but a Pride player either blocked or deflected each attempt, preventing Moorhouse from facing any real danger.
—Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
Murphy actually got her hands on all five shots in the shootout as Karnezis’ hard liner deflected off her and into the net.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Colorado answered just past the midway point of the game when a Brent Burns shot from the blue line was deflected by Parker Kelly and past Wallstedt.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
Neto then singled when his comebacker deflected off pitcher Will Vest.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
The Spurs keep taking the bait on the gaps the Thunder defense does yield, then watching the ball get deflected or even intercepted.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Kazuma Okamoto followed with an RBI single that was deflected into left field by third baseman Javier Sanoja.
—Miami Herald, 26 May 2026
Moments after MacKinnon got hurt, Keegan Kolesar deflected a shot off the pipe, then poked the rebound past goalie Scott Wedgewood to tie the score at 3.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
The Wave fired four shots over the final seven minutes of stoppage time, but a Pride player either blocked or deflected each attempt, preventing Moorhouse from facing any real danger.
—Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
Murphy actually got her hands on all five shots in the shootout as Karnezis’ hard liner deflected off her and into the net.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Colorado answered just past the midway point of the game when a Brent Burns shot from the blue line was deflected by Parker Kelly and past Wallstedt.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflected
Verb
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Rice swung at the first pitch from left-hander Noah Cameron, a four-seam fastball, to hit a triple that took an awkward bounce off the left field wall and scattered away from Royals left fielder Isaac Collins past the foul line.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
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The company has also swung its strategy widely, from an embrace of low-carbon business lines to a hard pivot back to oil and gas.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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In April, the Grammy winner turned 75 and posted photos on Instagram from a birthday bash showing him surrounded by friends and family.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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Eco effort Bottled water comes from a well on site, food waste is turned into compost for the garden and the hotel works with local producers to reduce food miles as much as possible.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Last month, as a steady, pre-rainy season wind whipped off the Atlantic Ocean, the sounds of samba, morna and jazz filled the streets.—
Ricci Shryock,
NPR,
27 May 2026
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Having whipped her own business into shape for the AI era, Sweet is better prepared to guide companies across industries through their own transformations.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The Netflix series − inspired by the 1981 film of the same name, starring Alan Alda, Carol Burnett and Rita Moreno − diverted from the movie's plotline by killing Nick (Carell) in a car crash in Season 1.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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Northbound and westbound drivers will be diverted to State Route 166/Langford Parkway.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The employee leaves feeling reassured rather than redirected.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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As of May 27, 109 commercial vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflected. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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