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
Middle East crisis — explained The report sparked a retort from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has deflected personal responsibility in the security failure.
—
Daniel Estrin, NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
Houston turned the ball over deep in its own territory, it was deflected by Benja Cremaschi, and then Suarez pounced on it and sent a perfect pass to Segovia, who finished.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Now Moore is proactively blaming President Donald Trump, grasping at straws to deflect the blame.
—John Teichert, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
In a golden goal moment, Max Garner’s shot to his right was deflected by Yucaipa keeper Brennen Little, but the ball still carried enough forward momentum to trickle to the back of the net.
—Martin Henderson, Orange County Register, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Daniel Estrin, NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
Houston turned the ball over deep in its own territory, it was deflected by Benja Cremaschi, and then Suarez pounced on it and sent a perfect pass to Segovia, who finished.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Now Moore is proactively blaming President Donald Trump, grasping at straws to deflect the blame.
—John Teichert, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
In a golden goal moment, Max Garner’s shot to his right was deflected by Yucaipa keeper Brennen Little, but the ball still carried enough forward momentum to trickle to the back of the net.
—Martin Henderson, Orange County Register, 2 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 19 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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