as in turns
to change the course or direction of (something)
the wind deflected the Frisbee just as I was about to lunge for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflects
When asked about his own legacy — a question that comes up more frequently as tributes and retrospectives accumulate — Hawke deflects with characteristic self-awareness.
—
Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
And the attorney general, appointed by that president, does not say those photos do not exist and instead deflects the question with insults about the senator.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
As a result, Palace’s centre-back leaps higher than Maximilian Kilman and his header deflects off the West Ham defender, onto the bar, but Mateta is in position to score from the rebound.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Vogt, though, deflects credit to his players.
—John Perrotto, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
And the attorney general, appointed by that president, does not say those photos do not exist and instead deflects the question with insults about the senator.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
As a result, Palace’s centre-back leaps higher than Maximilian Kilman and his header deflects off the West Ham defender, onto the bar, but Mateta is in position to score from the rebound.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Vogt, though, deflects credit to his players.
—John Perrotto, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflects
Verb
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Estonia also provides paid parental leave/benefit that can be used until a child turns three.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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To spot the exact moment water turns into exotic ice, scientists used powerful X-ray beams at a synchrotron.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The questions ask them about the society in general and the tone of the times shifts when the majority swings one way or the other.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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But the tone swings between sour and sweet, grounded and silly, and the jokes run more broadly wacky than precise or original.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pureval said the move won't affect a city program that diverts nonviolent calls to mental health teams.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Oct. 2025
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The 42-mile long canal runs from Boise through Nampa and diverts 240 million gallons a day, according to the district.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the video, Campos whips her long hair in disbelief.—
Christina Noriega,
Refinery29,
13 Oct. 2025
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So unless Benito uncharacteristically whips out a slate of cover songs, his set will be entirely in Spanish.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Brown said the move redirects several million dollars to go toward households instead of paying the nonprofit to operate the program.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Democrats were quick to pan the move as a bailout that redirects foreign investment out of the US while lawmakers remain at odds over rising health care costs domestically.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While Peters veers closer to a stock villain — the ubiquitous empowered dweeb, though those coding-sequence tattoo sleeves are a nice embellishment — Hasan Minhaj and Arturo Castro are appealing as Eve’s ENCOM associates.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
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While the series veers more toward the action side of things, stealth is also incredibly important.—
George Yang,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflects. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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