as in swinging
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 deflecting
Based on the previews, however, the obviousness of her selection is going to come up soon, and based on her tenure on RHOBH, Lisa has never been good at deflecting the heat.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
And Bennett pushed Florida’s lead up to 3-1 just 10 seconds into the third period by deflecting in a shot attempt from Brad Marchand on the opening shift of the final frame.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
His 200th career goal came with hulking Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns draped all over him, but still unable to stop a Zeev Buium pass from deflecting off Kaprizov and past Wedgewood for the equalizer.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
Another problem is that all the gaps, hinges, and deflecting surfaces for these control surfaces result in more drag, which reduces the aircraft's efficiency.
—New Atlas, 25 Nov. 2025
With the Kraken on the power play, Schwartz put them ahead, deflecting Montour's pass to the right doorstep through Knight's five-hole.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Forward Alex DeBrincat lit up the stat sheet with two goals and one assist, his first goal coming in a power play deflecting a shot from Mortiz Seider to give Detroit a 4-2 lead.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 14 Nov. 2025
Reading responded to most, with several players around Graves securing key takeaways, or deflecting passes to slow down the attack.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
Weak intergalactic magnetic fields are deflecting the pairs and steering the resulting GeV rays away from Earth.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
And Bennett pushed Florida’s lead up to 3-1 just 10 seconds into the third period by deflecting in a shot attempt from Brad Marchand on the opening shift of the final frame.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
His 200th career goal came with hulking Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns draped all over him, but still unable to stop a Zeev Buium pass from deflecting off Kaprizov and past Wedgewood for the equalizer.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
Another problem is that all the gaps, hinges, and deflecting surfaces for these control surfaces result in more drag, which reduces the aircraft's efficiency.
—New Atlas, 25 Nov. 2025
With the Kraken on the power play, Schwartz put them ahead, deflecting Montour's pass to the right doorstep through Knight's five-hole.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Forward Alex DeBrincat lit up the stat sheet with two goals and one assist, his first goal coming in a power play deflecting a shot from Mortiz Seider to give Detroit a 4-2 lead.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 14 Nov. 2025
Reading responded to most, with several players around Graves securing key takeaways, or deflecting passes to slow down the attack.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
Weak intergalactic magnetic fields are deflecting the pairs and steering the resulting GeV rays away from Earth.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflecting
Verb
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Weekly mopping might help to prevent food, dirt, and debris from turning into mold, which could damage your grout.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
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But the momentum in the NFL’s longest-running rivalry seems to be turning, with the Bears beating the Packers for the third time in the past five games.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The cold weather shouldn’t be a huge factor unless the wind starts whipping.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The wind was whipping throughout Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, that day, which had a massive impact on the kicking game.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert and was diverting traffic off on Roxford Street.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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What keeps things diverting, and sometimes even interesting, is the genuine but necessarily tentative chemistry between its stars, one staging an all-out charm offensive and the other projecting a flintier allure.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead, the program will change where the sales tax dollars go — redirecting dollars that would have otherwise been added to the state’s general fund to pay for highways, schools and other services to pay off the project’s debt and retire the bonds.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
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This shift is being steered by former industry leaders who are redirecting their energies toward building enduring public systems.—
William Jones,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Last week, Graham Knaus, the chief executive of the California State Association of Counties, criticized Newsom’s budget for not responding to the cost burdens shifting to local governments.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
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In Huntington Beach, the coastal community has long had a reputation as a Southern California stronghold for Republicans, though its politics have recently been shifting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflecting. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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