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
Fixed a bug where Guardian's Wings of Salvation Ultimate Art could be deflected and interrupted.
—
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
On the next Browns possession, Joe Flacco’s pass to Jerry Jeudy was deflected into the air by the receiver into the hands of Jordan Battle.
—Mike Straw, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Thomas Saggese sliced San Francisco’s lead to one run with an RBI single, then Jordan Walker erased it entirely with a walk-off, two-run double that deflected off third baseman Matt Chapman’s glove.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Asked about Trump’s attempt to remove her, senators mostly deflected Tuesday by citing her pending lawsuit or questioning why Cook hadn’t more adamantly defended her innocence.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2025
When Segura and Smolyakov caught Dreyer, the Dane stopped, took two long touches to his left and fired a 9-yard shot that deflected into the goal.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
At a Tuesday night town hall, the mayor deflected criticism, saying blame belongs in Springfield.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
One inning later, Wallner was thrown out advancing to third base after a poor read on a ball that deflected off the glove of Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Chisholm put the home team back on top with an RBI single to shallow center that deflected off Trevor Story, and Wilson walked Paul Goldschmidt on four pitches to load the bases.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
On the next Browns possession, Joe Flacco’s pass to Jerry Jeudy was deflected into the air by the receiver into the hands of Jordan Battle.
—Mike Straw, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Thomas Saggese sliced San Francisco’s lead to one run with an RBI single, then Jordan Walker erased it entirely with a walk-off, two-run double that deflected off third baseman Matt Chapman’s glove.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Asked about Trump’s attempt to remove her, senators mostly deflected Tuesday by citing her pending lawsuit or questioning why Cook hadn’t more adamantly defended her innocence.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2025
When Segura and Smolyakov caught Dreyer, the Dane stopped, took two long touches to his left and fired a 9-yard shot that deflected into the goal.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
At a Tuesday night town hall, the mayor deflected criticism, saying blame belongs in Springfield.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
One inning later, Wallner was thrown out advancing to third base after a poor read on a ball that deflected off the glove of Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Chisholm put the home team back on top with an RBI single to shallow center that deflected off Trevor Story, and Wilson walked Paul Goldschmidt on four pitches to load the bases.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflected
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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But on just the third play of the fourth quarter, veteran tight end Zach Ertz turned a short pass in the flat into a 20-yard TD.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Arkansas defensive end Phillip Lee turned a question about the challenges Ole Miss presents into a reflection on what the Razorbacks are doing.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With notes of caramel, maple sugar, and whipped coconut, Ellis Brooklyn’s latest launch proves that sweet can still be sophisticated.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
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As the winds whipped across the seaside links-style layout, the competition heated up.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the second case, the IMF is carried outwards by the solar wind and bumps into the magnetic field of the earth as the solar wind is diverted around it.—
Ian Dexter Palmer,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Arrivals from cities including Gran Canaria, Tokyo, and Paris were diverted to alternate airports across Poland and Europe.—
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Efforts are being redirected towards alternatives that are a healthy blend of traditional and modern medicine, with a special focus on an individual’s body and its reaction to treatment.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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However, city officials insist that those funds cannot legally or logistically be redirected to cover those operating costs.—
Veronica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflected. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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