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
The sophomore defensive back deflected 14 passes and picked off quarterbacks three times.
—
Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
As public furor over the Epstein files has exploded in recent weeks, Trump has sought to deflect criticism.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
Fuentes, a four-time Olympic medalist from Spain, deflected the praise and credited her lifeguard training for her life saving response.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Since the flood, Kerr County officials have repeatedly deflected questions about the details and timelines of their response.
—CBS News, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
As public furor over the Epstein files has exploded in recent weeks, Trump has sought to deflect criticism.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
Fuentes, a four-time Olympic medalist from Spain, deflected the praise and credited her lifeguard training for her life saving response.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Since the flood, Kerr County officials have repeatedly deflected questions about the details and timelines of their response.
—CBS News, 12 July 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 29 Jul. 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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