as in to turn
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflect
In this one, Matthews made the best of a power play opportunity, seeing a shot by Quinn Hughes deflect off his stick and go through Franzreb’s legs for the second goal of the game.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Wenders was hardly alone in trying to deflect political crossfire.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
When asked about the league probe as to whether the Clippers illegally skirted the salary cap, Silver deflected the question, saying the league had yet to come to a decision on potential punishment, if any, on the Clippers.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 14 Feb. 2026
The goalie was caught too high up in the crease and as Peslarova reached back, Olsson’s shot deflected in off her blocker.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Wenders was hardly alone in trying to deflect political crossfire.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
When asked about the league probe as to whether the Clippers illegally skirted the salary cap, Silver deflected the question, saying the league had yet to come to a decision on potential punishment, if any, on the Clippers.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 14 Feb. 2026
The goalie was caught too high up in the crease and as Peslarova reached back, Olsson’s shot deflected in off her blocker.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflect
Verb
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Kato is talking with local schools about turning Mardi Gras bead-making into a community project.—
TRAVIS LOLLER,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Since last fall, the Media Research Center, a right-wing organization that criticizes legacy media outlets, has turned its attention on Apple News’ story selection.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nineteen seconds later, Keller swung a puck over to Laila Edwards, who unleashed a shot that Knight tipped for the tying goal.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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And while their place in the NCAA tournament is presumably safe heading into that final stretch, where the Trojans are seeded could swing significantly with a few quality wins.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Similarly, when conflicts erupt unexpectedly, many flights wind up being diverted to avoid danger on the ground.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Time that should be spent advancing the work gets diverted to managing fallout.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Suzuki just about did it all on the tying goal, sending the puck out to the point to Devon Toews and then redirecting the defenseman’s shot that was going well wide past Lukas Dostal and into the net.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Canada, the team and the country, could finally take a breath when Suzuki redirected defenseman Devon Toews’ shot from the point past Czechia goaltender Lukas Dostal.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They were instead captured and publicly whipped.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
19 Feb. 2026
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Those who observe Lent will spend the next several Fridays whipping out fish recipes or attending a fish fry and abstaining from eating meat.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflect. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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