deflected; deflecting; deflects
: 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
: to turn aside : deviate
the shot deflected off the goalie's shoulder pad
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
Skubal has consistently deflected all related questions.
—
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to shift blame onto the CBR and Nabiullina in particular to deflect business community anger, according to the ISW, a U.S.-based think tank, citing a prominent Telegram channel that reports on Kremlin insider news.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
True to form, Porsha starts deflecting, focusing on Kelli’s delivery and Shamea’s involvement instead of acknowledging the odd timeline of her relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
The Ducks were getting outshot 4-1 when Johnston deflected Harley’s point shot into the net while on a power play to give the Stars a 1-0 lead at 11:42 of the first period.
—Staff and News Service Reports, Orange County Register, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to shift blame onto the CBR and Nabiullina in particular to deflect business community anger, according to the ISW, a U.S.-based think tank, citing a prominent Telegram channel that reports on Kremlin insider news.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
True to form, Porsha starts deflecting, focusing on Kelli’s delivery and Shamea’s involvement instead of acknowledging the odd timeline of her relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
The Ducks were getting outshot 4-1 when Johnston deflected Harley’s point shot into the net while on a power play to give the Stars a 1-0 lead at 11:42 of the first period.
—Staff and News Service Reports, Orange County Register, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
noun
-ˈflek-shən
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