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
Fitzpatrick ran out of room on a back shoulder throw from Heinicke, and the ball deflected out of bounds.
—
Daniel Popper, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Maxwell deflected responsibility for her crimes, prosecutors said At her sentencing, some of the witnesses who testified at trial urged Judge Alison Nathan to impose a severe sentence due to the harm Maxwell had caused and her apparent lack of remorse.
—James Hill, ABC News, 24 July 2025
The magnetosphere normally deflects much of the solar wind and harmful ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise reach Earth’s surface.
—Raven Garvey, Space.com, 24 July 2025
Trump deflected questions yesterday about the Epstein case, shifting the focus to an old controversy: Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Daniel Popper, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Maxwell deflected responsibility for her crimes, prosecutors said At her sentencing, some of the witnesses who testified at trial urged Judge Alison Nathan to impose a severe sentence due to the harm Maxwell had caused and her apparent lack of remorse.
—James Hill, ABC News, 24 July 2025
The magnetosphere normally deflects much of the solar wind and harmful ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise reach Earth’s surface.
—Raven Garvey, Space.com, 24 July 2025
Trump deflected questions yesterday about the Epstein case, shifting the focus to an old controversy: Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflect
Verb
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But if this fight doesn’t happen soon, whispers could easily turn into outright claims.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Lopez, who was being treated for depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions, ended the rampage by turning the gun on himself when confronted by a military police officer.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, the firm swung to a loss of £19.2 million from a profit of £1.3 million in the same 2024 period.—
Royston Wild,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The company swung to a net income of $1.58 billion for the three months ended in June from a massive loss pushing $10 billion the year before.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Global titans of self-dealing—such as Najib Razik, Malaysia’s former Prime Minister—divert vast sums from national coffers directly into their bank accounts.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
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Whether that's disaster relief, basic healthcare or supporting the pipeline to future healthcare professionals, S.O.S. has changed and saved over 14 million lives by providing millions of pounds of medical supplies diverted from landfills to people and animals around the world.—
Kirby Adams,
The Courier-Journal,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And since iPhone models available in the United States don’t precisely match those sold elsewhere, Apple can’t just redirect iPhones intended for different markets.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
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Perhaps the Red Sox will redirect Devers’ money to Bregman this winter.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The girl was allegedly burned with hot water, beaten and whipped, according to the outlets, citing probable cause documents from local police.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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And that’s even before his lighthouse keeper character whips out a delightfully goofy Scottish accent or a series of minimal but masterful props.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflect. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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