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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of deflected
But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.
—
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Defenseman Niko Mikkola shot from the point, and the shot deflected off Faulk and past Red Wings goalie John Gibson.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
Most of the time, the Earth's and sun's magnetic fields aren't aligned, meaning that, as solar wind comes across Earth, much of it is deflected away from the planet.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 10 Mar. 2026
Peraza, the second baseman, charged in to grab a bouncer that deflected off the glove of Soriano, and made a quick throw to get the out at first.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Instead, O’Loughlin deflected the ball and shortstop Jarryd Dale made a throwing error that kept the inning alive.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
McDuffie blitzed and deflected the pass from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
The Canucks opened the scoring midway through the first period when Jake DeBrusk drove into the offensive zone, put a shot off Oettinger’s right pad and Evander Kane deflected the rebound in from the side of the net for his 11th goal of the season.
—ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Mohamed Salah equalised after capitalising on a poor Jean-Ricner Bellegarde pass, but Andre’s deflected late strike put a huge dent in Liverpool’s Champions League qualification hopes.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Defenseman Niko Mikkola shot from the point, and the shot deflected off Faulk and past Red Wings goalie John Gibson.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
Most of the time, the Earth's and sun's magnetic fields aren't aligned, meaning that, as solar wind comes across Earth, much of it is deflected away from the planet.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 10 Mar. 2026
Peraza, the second baseman, charged in to grab a bouncer that deflected off the glove of Soriano, and made a quick throw to get the out at first.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Instead, O’Loughlin deflected the ball and shortstop Jarryd Dale made a throwing error that kept the inning alive.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
McDuffie blitzed and deflected the pass from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
The Canucks opened the scoring midway through the first period when Jake DeBrusk drove into the offensive zone, put a shot off Oettinger’s right pad and Evander Kane deflected the rebound in from the side of the net for his 11th goal of the season.
—ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Mohamed Salah equalised after capitalising on a poor Jean-Ricner Bellegarde pass, but Andre’s deflected late strike put a huge dent in Liverpool’s Champions League qualification hopes.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflected
Verb
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Before the doors swung open at the ICNA Relief Food Pantry in suburban Glendale Heights on a recent Thursday, volunteers in lime-yellow hi-vis vests were putting out large boxes of vegetables and fruit and trays of breads, buns and a few smatterings of cookies from a nearby bakery.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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Kiffin, in many ways, swung the scythe that signaled the spring game’s apparent demise.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What looked like a Plum showcase during the first half gradually turned into a Mist surge as Stewart began asserting herself on both ends of the floor.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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Besides Heldens and Carpenter, also attached is former Disney Channels Worldwide president/Disney Branded Television president and chief creative officer Gary Marsh, who departed that post in 2021 and turned his attention to producing.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Oil prices whipped from nearly $120 per barrel, their highest since 2022, back toward $90.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Oil prices whipped from nearly $120 per barrel, the highest since 2022, back toward $90.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some flights have been repeatedly diverted.—
Zach Levitt,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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The litigation challenges specific budget provisions that diverted more than $1 billion in unclaimed funds to create an Ohio Cultural and Sports Facility Performance Grant Fund and designate $600 million for the Browns as its first grant.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Alina Müller, on the left side, dropped a pass to Daniela Pejsova for a one-timer from just inside the blue line that was redirected by Schafahl over the stick-side shoulder of goaltender Corinne Schroeder to give the Fleet a 1-0 lead with 7 1/2 minutes left in the first period.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Rather than allowing funds to land first in personal accounts and then be redirected, founders can establish protective vehicles in advance.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflected. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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