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
In one instance, a man survived a gunshot only due to his pocket watch deflecting the bullet, while another joined the Union army after deserting the Confederacy.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
Trump, meanwhile, spent Wednesday painting Harris and Democrats as divisive, while deflecting criticism of his own xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
When it was forced to pay $42 million, Taco Bell tried to pass on the bill to the ad agency, but Emhoff’s legal work successfully deflected that claim.
—Stuart Emmrich, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
Andrew Kelly | Reuters But the recent comments from people such as Musk and Lutnick also point to an emerging tactic Trump allies are using to deflect those attacks: Accept some immediate pain for eventual gains.
—Rebecca Picciotto, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deflect 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
Trump, meanwhile, spent Wednesday painting Harris and Democrats as divisive, while deflecting criticism of his own xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
When it was forced to pay $42 million, Taco Bell tried to pass on the bill to the ad agency, but Emhoff’s legal work successfully deflected that claim.
—Stuart Emmrich, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
Andrew Kelly | Reuters But the recent comments from people such as Musk and Lutnick also point to an emerging tactic Trump allies are using to deflect those attacks: Accept some immediate pain for eventual gains.
—Rebecca Picciotto, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deflect
Dictionary Entries Near deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share