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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflecting
The star defender touched on the schedule during his press conference, deflecting the question about facing his former team in Week 4.
—
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Bailey wound up deflecting 21 throws and picking off 10 others.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
Strain sensors measure the degree to which the flex is deflecting the channel, as determined by chain tension.
—New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2025
Bingham preserved the clean sheet with another diving save in the 71st minute, deflecting Tony Leone‘s shot from inside the box.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 8 Aug. 2025
Alex Karp, the frizzy-haired CEO of defense software company Palantir, has become somewhat of a pro at deflecting criticism.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2025
The talk will present a rapid overview of my work and a detailed case study of an underactuated rock gripper for deflecting asteroids.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Sep. 2019
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Bailey wound up deflecting 21 throws and picking off 10 others.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
Strain sensors measure the degree to which the flex is deflecting the channel, as determined by chain tension.
—New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2025
Bingham preserved the clean sheet with another diving save in the 71st minute, deflecting Tony Leone‘s shot from inside the box.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 8 Aug. 2025
Alex Karp, the frizzy-haired CEO of defense software company Palantir, has become somewhat of a pro at deflecting criticism.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2025
The talk will present a rapid overview of my work and a detailed case study of an underactuated rock gripper for deflecting asteroids.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflecting
Verb
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Part sports-underdog biopic, part domestic-abuse-survivor’s tale, and a textbook example of why turning a true story into tony entertainment is a real tightrope walk, this drama has extremely recognizable beats.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
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The other two possessions ended in a Jenkins interception and FIU turning the ball over on downs.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Milwaukee mother who claimed her stepfather threw her baby from a balcony has now been charged with child abuse herself, accused of whipping her younger brothers.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Olbinski ran to his car, while others hunkered down and braved the brutal winds and whipping sand.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But the rail authority has argued that, in the long-term, a train system would save money by diverting travelers away from roads and airports.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Twenty-six percent of HR time is consumed by leave management activities, diverting critical resources from strategic initiatives.—
Anant Agarwal,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And diverting and redirecting waste from landfills, whether through recycling or reusing, boosts crew morale on film sets.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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Essentially, soft and joyful music may reduce this effect by easing emotional tension, redirecting attention and calming physiological responses triggered by motion sickness.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To maintain tanks’ relevance, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have covered them in different configurations of armor as ad hoc solutions to rapidly shifting tactics.—
Marco Hernandez,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Globe’s decision to stand by McCarthy is the latest in a series of indications that newsroom culture is shifting radically to match this backlash moment.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflecting. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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