deflect

verb

de·​flect di-ˈflekt 

dē-

deflected; deflecting; deflects

transitive verb

: to turn (something) aside especially from a straight course or fixed direction

armor that deflects bullets

deflecting attention from the troubled economy

deflect a question

intransitive verb

: to turn aside : deviate

the shot deflected off the goalie's shoulder pad

deflectable

di-ˈflek-tə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

deflective

di-ˈflek-tiv 

dē-

adjective

deflector

di-ˈflek-tər 

dē-

noun

Synonyms

• divert
• redirect
• swing
• turn
• veer
• wheel
• whip

Examples of deflect in a Sentence

armor that can deflect bullets

The goalie deflected the ball with his hands.

The ball deflected off the goalie's shoulder.

They are trying to deflect attention from the troubled economy.

The blame was deflected from the chairman.

Recent Examples on the Web

But instead of deflecting, Trump’s move tied him even closer to the issue by placing his political fate in the hands of judges and state lawmakers willing to go far beyond where most voters stand. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

The prosecutor also argued that after the shooting, Baldwin set about constructing a false narrative that deflected responsibility onto others. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

The night belonged to Miller, even though the rookie deflected that responsibility after the game. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2024

Many aspects of the movie deflect the viewer’s attention, from the grayscale color palette to the sparse dialogue to the grating shakycam. —Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024

Pilings anchored to the river bottom, known as dolphins, are another measure that could have helped to deflect the container ship Dali. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024

On the other hand, mineral sunscreens establish a physical barrier atop the skin's surface, deflecting UV rays to prevent them from penetrating and causing damage. —Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Diverter electrodes on either side of the stream could permit the drops to proceed straight to the paper, or else deflect them onto an absorbent pad or into a gutter to be collected and reused. —Phillip W. Barth, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Mar. 2024

For example, Foss says open water swimming goggles should be tinted to reduce the sun's brightness, mirrored to deflect additional light, and fog-resistant to prevent having to stop and clear your goggles. —Marisa Petrarca, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin deflectere to bend down, turn aside, from de- + flectere to bend

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

deflect

verb

de·​flect di-ˈflekt 

: to turn or cause to turn aside (as from a course, direction, or position)

a bullet deflected by striking a wall

deflection

-ˈflek-shən

noun