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
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
Rice's two-run shot came a pitch after Trent Grisham reached on a single, the ball deflecting off Leiter's glove with charging shortstop Corey Seager unable to make a barehand pickup.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
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
Rice's two-run shot came a pitch after Trent Grisham reached on a single, the ball deflecting off Leiter's glove with charging shortstop Corey Seager unable to make a barehand pickup.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflecting
Verb
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Now, the soon-to-be junior and 2024 Team USA Olympic alternate has plans of turning UGA gymnastics into a superpower, drawing enthusiasm similar to the school’s most prominent sport.—
Hunter DeLauder,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026
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The company specializes in repurposing old baseball gloves and turning them into one-of-a-kind leather products, particularly wallets, billfolds, card cases and money clips.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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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
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In baseball news, Screencaps the III got his very first legitimate hit of the season by lacing one over the second baseman's head last night with winds whipping 20-25 mph off Lake Erie.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto has also vowed to prevent LA28 from diverting money to a Legacy Fund before reimbursing Los Angeles for all expenses.—
The Editorial Board,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
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The show’s studio, 20th Television Animation, kept the annual output relatively steady, diverting the surplus episodes to its streaming platforms.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Arab producers are drawing their own conclusions, redirecting supply chains away from Gulf chokepoints and investing in rail corridors linking inland production facilities to ports far removed from the current theater of conflict.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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For the millions of shoppers who have been redirecting their dollars away from corporate giants and toward small and local businesses, the May 4 announcement isn’t a logistics story at all.—
Patrick van Esch,
The Conversation,
25 May 2026
Verb
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This announcement comes as many e-commerce companies are shifting their business models to AI to reduce costs by automating many roles.—
Lily Wright,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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Armed with an adventure kit, participants are summoned to a secret location where they’re tasked with deciphering cryptic codes, uncovering hidden symbols, navigating shifting alliances and outwit enemies and operatives stationed around the campus.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflecting. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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