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
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
During a scrum in front of the Wild’s goal, the Stars’ captain had his stick lifted by defenseman Brock Faber in a savvy move designed to keep Benn from deflecting in the go-ahead goal.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Thomas was a second-team All-ACC selection, and he was named the Fiesta Bowl defensive MVP after making five tackles and deflecting two passes.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
When Kucherov went to shoot, Demidov’s stick was there, deflecting the dangerous shot over the net.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Earlier this month, Rogan drew criticism after a tense appearance by Von on The Joe Rogan Experience in which Von pushed back on political topics harder than almost any guest had in years — with Rogan, according to observers, deflecting rather than engaging.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Not so long ago, stars typically hid their nips and tucks, deflecting questions about plastic surgery or even denying it, instead crediting a disciplined diet or skin-care regimen.
—Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Broadcast replays showed the ball deflecting off his face before striking catcher Logan O'Hoppe.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
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
During a scrum in front of the Wild’s goal, the Stars’ captain had his stick lifted by defenseman Brock Faber in a savvy move designed to keep Benn from deflecting in the go-ahead goal.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Thomas was a second-team All-ACC selection, and he was named the Fiesta Bowl defensive MVP after making five tackles and deflecting two passes.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
When Kucherov went to shoot, Demidov’s stick was there, deflecting the dangerous shot over the net.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Earlier this month, Rogan drew criticism after a tense appearance by Von on The Joe Rogan Experience in which Von pushed back on political topics harder than almost any guest had in years — with Rogan, according to observers, deflecting rather than engaging.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Not so long ago, stars typically hid their nips and tucks, deflecting questions about plastic surgery or even denying it, instead crediting a disciplined diet or skin-care regimen.
—Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Broadcast replays showed the ball deflecting off his face before striking catcher Logan O'Hoppe.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflecting
Verb
-
Yet everything Counsell and the Cubs are doing lately is turning into gold.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
With Pluto turning retrograde in your 9th House of Perspective, beliefs, plans, or long-term ideas start to evolve.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
If the frosting seems soft and dense, give it a chill before whipping again.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Later that evening, three rounds of hail inundated the house, followed by two bouts of whipping winds.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Social Security benefits are funded by workers currently paying payroll taxes, meaning diverting today’s tax payments would affect today’s retirees.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
The expansion of vouchers is diverting resources away from neighborhood schools.—
Clinton McCracken,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Verb
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My first year will focus on building modern systems, replacing outdated ones and redirecting resources to programs that actually work.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
Unwitting drivers will pick up the freight loads before redirecting them to complicit drivers, who illegally resell them.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Subscription revenue was up 4% at $46 million (adjusting down to a 5% decrease when accounting for foreign currency translation) and ad sales rose 3% to $23 million (also shifting to a dip of 5% without favorable impact from exchange rates).—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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This knowledge is critical for monitoring and predicting how our ocean-climate system is shifting, affecting both people and ecosystems in our changing world.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflecting. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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