as in deviation
a turning away from a course or standard
a stern father who would not tolerate the slightest deflection from the strict moral code that he imposed on his children
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Recent Examples of deflection
Despite these differences, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is resorting to a familiar playbook for repressing protests, blending a passing acknowledgement of his system’s shortcomings with maximum deflection and defiance.
—
Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
Luvu had a career-high eight sacks and seven pass deflections in 2024, but his production and play dipped this season, in part because he was thrust into a different role.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Jackson leads the league in pass deflections, according to Pro Football Reference, with 19.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Since being drafted in the second round in 2020, Diggs played in 66 career games for the franchise with 20 interceptions and 63 pass deflections.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflection
Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
Luvu had a career-high eight sacks and seven pass deflections in 2024, but his production and play dipped this season, in part because he was thrust into a different role.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Jackson leads the league in pass deflections, according to Pro Football Reference, with 19.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Since being drafted in the second round in 2020, Diggs played in 66 career games for the franchise with 20 interceptions and 63 pass deflections.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflection
Noun
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With each deviation, signals are repeated and the idea of a national immunization standard becomes increasingly incoherent.—
Richard Hughes IV,
STAT,
12 Jan. 2026
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The system draws on data from devices like the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring to establish a personal baseline, then looks for subtle deviations linked to early dementia research.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Werner will be a welcome addition to the Quakes’ attack after the departure of Josef Martinez to Tijuana.—
Mercury News,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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The move marks a departure from past administrations, which have typically moved quickly to open Justice Department civil rights reviews of fatal encounters involving law enforcement, even when criminal charges were considered unlikely.—
Greg Wehner , Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflection. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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