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
Fixed a bug where Executor could not use pre-inputs for actions after deflecting an enemy attack with the Cursed Sword under certain circumstances.
—
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Tart remained in the game and came up with two big plays, deflecting a pair of passes by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — including one on a two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game 20-20.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 8 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
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Tart remained in the game and came up with two big plays, deflecting a pair of passes by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — including one on a two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game 20-20.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 8 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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The crowd takes it all in wearing headphones with green lights, turning the night into a kind of silent disco in a scene straight out of Mad Max.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The Andante cantabile offers benevolence tinged with shadow, its harmonies turning suddenly ominous.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Boaters were the last to be warned to watch the sky as a line of wind-whipping storms pushed out to sea.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
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Golden State usually opens games whipping the ball around and making teams uncomfortable with its aggressive style of defense.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The suit accuses Haman of running an online retailer, Quba Pro Inc, that allegedly defrauded Cornerstone by raising money in a financing agreement and diverting the funds.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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Goldman Sachs says surging investment in AI among the S&P 500 companies is diverting funds from stock buybacks, halting their usual yearly growth.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
9 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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Because in a world where the terrain keeps shifting, following yesterday’s map may be the quickest way to get lost.—
Nirit Cohen,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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But plenty of household media names have been humbled by the shifting habits of digital consumers.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflecting. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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