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
His shot missed, deflecting glass onto Long Khac Nguyen’s face and setting him off on an immediate rampage, shooting several hostages, three fatally.
—
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The bearded blueliner has skated through the bumps and bruises that come with delivering checks and deflecting slap shots.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Cirelli notched his second of the game 11 seconds into the second, deflecting a puck away from Bryan Rust and racing up ice for a breakaway, lifting a backhand shot over Skinner for a shorthanded marker.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
About 30 seconds later, Hicks rose up again, this time deflecting a shot of a one-on-one with UMD’s Aaron Pionk.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Though the tiny asteroid posed no threat to Earth, NASA had set out to test a method of deflecting and changing the path of threatening objects hurtling toward Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Fuerst beat his man and flicked the puck on net, deflecting off the underside of Moreland’s glove and into the net.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
Five goals down at half-time, the Azerbaijani champions were hapless and guileless, incapable of delaying or deflecting Gordon’s acceleration and utterly without attacking merit until the game was yanked far beyond them.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
According to The Planetary Society, scientists focus on deflecting an asteroid rather than destroying it.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 19 Feb. 2026
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The bearded blueliner has skated through the bumps and bruises that come with delivering checks and deflecting slap shots.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Cirelli notched his second of the game 11 seconds into the second, deflecting a puck away from Bryan Rust and racing up ice for a breakaway, lifting a backhand shot over Skinner for a shorthanded marker.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
About 30 seconds later, Hicks rose up again, this time deflecting a shot of a one-on-one with UMD’s Aaron Pionk.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Though the tiny asteroid posed no threat to Earth, NASA had set out to test a method of deflecting and changing the path of threatening objects hurtling toward Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Fuerst beat his man and flicked the puck on net, deflecting off the underside of Moreland’s glove and into the net.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
Five goals down at half-time, the Azerbaijani champions were hapless and guileless, incapable of delaying or deflecting Gordon’s acceleration and utterly without attacking merit until the game was yanked far beyond them.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
According to The Planetary Society, scientists focus on deflecting an asteroid rather than destroying it.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflecting
Verb
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The key now is to foster stronger intracontinental dialogue—turning these events from mere entry points into active hubs of exchange among artists, institutions, and audiences.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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The bus stopped abruptly after a Baltimore Police Department vehicle cut off the bus while turning into a private parking lot on Edison Highway.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like Apollo 13, Artemis II will take advantage of the moon’s and Earth’s gravity, making a figure 8 after whipping around the moon to head home in what’s known as a free-return trajectory requiring little if any fuel.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Like Apollo 13, Artemis II will take advantage of the moon and Earth’s gravity, making a figure eight after whipping around the moon to head home in what’s known as a free-return trajectory requiring little if any fuel.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nordseth also argued the city is illegally diverting money collected through a 2% increase in hotel occupancy taxes, approved by voters in 2022.—
Everton Bailey Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Gut Digestion slows at altitude due to a lack of oxygen in the intestines and the body diverting blood to more critical organs and the muscles that are being used to climb.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The TikTok tactic appears to work by interrupting a child’s emotional escalation with confusion or curiosity—essentially redirecting attention.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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So, in the meantime, the president's redirecting existing funding to pay TSA agents.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to Nicole Wegman of Ring Concierge, trends are shifting toward bold bands, distinctive settings, dual-band designs, and colorful gemstones that add personality and a modern twist.—
Kelsey Stiegman,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
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The education ministry will issue guidelines for schools starting Sunday, with options such as adjusting timetables and shifting to online classes being considered.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflecting. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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