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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deflecting
Judd is great at deflecting studio notes.
—
Simon Bland, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
Canfield feels more comfortable deflecting the conversation away from himself and towards the collective group.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 29 May 2026
At the Discovery Building, however, this wasn’t possible, so Broughton instead designed a huge wind deflector that channels gusts over the roof before deflecting them down the facade, pushing snow away from the building’s base.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
He was usually found near the net, either deflecting shots or scrambling for loose pucks, putting his body on the line.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Patel sparred with multiple lawmakers during Tuesday’s contentious hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, often deflecting questions from Democrats with his own accusations of wrongdoing.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Holy Innocents’ scored the game’s only goal less than five minutes into the second half when a free kick by the Golden Bears’ Paige Jacquin found the net after deflecting off a Wesleyan player in a logjam in front of the net.
—Chip Saye, AJC.com, 13 May 2026
Berenger won’t be able to get out of this jam, though deflecting the unwanted is one of his specialties.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Stay present and engaged instead of deflecting.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Simon Bland, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
Canfield feels more comfortable deflecting the conversation away from himself and towards the collective group.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 29 May 2026
At the Discovery Building, however, this wasn’t possible, so Broughton instead designed a huge wind deflector that channels gusts over the roof before deflecting them down the facade, pushing snow away from the building’s base.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
He was usually found near the net, either deflecting shots or scrambling for loose pucks, putting his body on the line.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Patel sparred with multiple lawmakers during Tuesday’s contentious hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, often deflecting questions from Democrats with his own accusations of wrongdoing.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Holy Innocents’ scored the game’s only goal less than five minutes into the second half when a free kick by the Golden Bears’ Paige Jacquin found the net after deflecting off a Wesleyan player in a logjam in front of the net.
—Chip Saye, AJC.com, 13 May 2026
Berenger won’t be able to get out of this jam, though deflecting the unwanted is one of his specialties.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Stay present and engaged instead of deflecting.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflecting
Verb
-
The show follows Charles, Oliver and Mabel, three eccentric neighbors, who find purpose and chaos in solving murders that hit close to home through their true-crime podcast, turning their New York apartment building into a playground of mystery and mischief.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
-
After 26 years of helping Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents through financial and housing difficulties, Crisis Assistance Ministry CEO Carol Hardison is turning a new page.—
Laura Horne,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The Seahawks won those shootouts, but that was mostly due to their special teams whipping the Rams and their offense going off, especially in the Super Bowl qualifier.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
Throughout the record, the image of Petras’ life in freefall recurs, giving the record a sense of hair-whipping freedom and heart-stopping urgency.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Creating parallel capabilities overseas risks duplicating existing infrastructure while diverting attention and resources from the interventions most likely to bring the outbreak under control.—
Krutika Kuppalli,
STAT,
5 June 2026
-
Concurrently, the Met botch their way through their investigation, diverting all their attention to an entirely innocent man while ignoring the serial offender under their nose.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The careers and locations links on the site appear not to work, redirecting back to Figure Health’s landing page.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
-
His solution is less about protecting junior roles from AI and more about redirecting them.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
And yet, the through-line of its main character's desperation connects Kill List's shifting tones, following a PTSD-addled war veteran's attempts to provide for his family by accepting his friend's offer to team up on a high-paying contract killing job.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
-
Ho Hern Shin, a deputy managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore who led the board's work on AI, presented the practices as a way to help firms adopt the technology responsibly while the ground keeps shifting beneath them.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflecting. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
