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
Gun down enemies Contra-style, deflect bullets, and enter bullet-time to make quick work of your foes.
—
PC Magazine, 1 Nov. 2025
Their only goal came from Jean-Philippe Mateta deflecting a Will Hughes shot despite having 74 per cent possession and 25 shots.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
This includes developing ways to deflect or disperse an object on a collision course and warning and emergency response planning for unexpected or unpreventable impacts.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
John Keegan, the great military historian, wrote once that, paradoxically, the German tactics upon retreat from the D-Day invasion were a kind of early working model for NATO to deflect a potential Soviet one.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
PC Magazine, 1 Nov. 2025
Their only goal came from Jean-Philippe Mateta deflecting a Will Hughes shot despite having 74 per cent possession and 25 shots.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
This includes developing ways to deflect or disperse an object on a collision course and warning and emergency response planning for unexpected or unpreventable impacts.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
John Keegan, the great military historian, wrote once that, paradoxically, the German tactics upon retreat from the D-Day invasion were a kind of early working model for NATO to deflect a potential Soviet one.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflect
Verb
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Washington, wary of straining its ties with New Delhi, turns a blind eye.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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Dames’ intention is to turn the headquarters into a creative hub and point of convergence of different disciplines, driven by collaborations.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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At the end of Monday's live Atlas demonstration, the humanoid prototype swung its arms in a theatrical gesture to introduce a static model of the new product version of Atlas, which looked slightly different and was blue in color.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Chiefs’ special teams also never swung the field with a return for a touchdown.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The $155,000 figure was within a range covered by insurance, and FBI investigators found that no individual donor funds were diverted before they were deposited into the Bright Futures Fund, Johnston wrote.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
6 Nov. 2025
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Videos taken by witnesses show cars diverting and driving away from the scene after capturing the fireball that lights up moments after the crash.—
Julia Gomez,
USA TODAY,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If you're redirected to a CAPTCHA on an unfamiliar site or after clicking a suspicious link, stop immediately.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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These practices help to declutter my mind and redirect my neural traffic.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There were some frightening moments early Monday for a Miramar man after police say he was pistol whipped during a home invasion and his French bulldog was stolen.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
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Or whips around his defender in a bold pirouette.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflect. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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