as in to turn
to change the course or direction of (something)
the wind deflected the Frisbee just as I was about to lunge for it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deflect
The ball hit the ground and deflected into the crowd behind the ball boy, prompting a harsh reaction from fans in the stands.
—
Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2025
Pastrnak was there to deflect it past Ullmark (22 saves) for his 34th of the season.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
The two geriatric foes square-off nightly for a game of cat-and-mouse that involves Crealy using Jenny — both as a mask to deflect the suspicion of the nursing staff and as an instrument of torture with the Judge.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
After the social media posts were put on display during the show — and Dina accused Carolina of deflecting accountability — Carolina began crying and had to step out of the taping entirely to take a moment for herself.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2025
Pastrnak was there to deflect it past Ullmark (22 saves) for his 34th of the season.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
The two geriatric foes square-off nightly for a game of cat-and-mouse that involves Crealy using Jenny — both as a mask to deflect the suspicion of the nursing staff and as an instrument of torture with the Judge.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
After the social media posts were put on display during the show — and Dina accused Carolina of deflecting accountability — Carolina began crying and had to step out of the taping entirely to take a moment for herself.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflect
Verb
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The pair was involved in a heated altercation that reportedly turned physical before paramedics arrived on the scene, according to TMZ.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2025
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Roast Salmon With Citrus and Coconut-Chile Crunch Crispy, toasty, and spicy, this quick coconut-chile crunch topping turns a simple salad into a whole lot of fun.—
Hali Bey Ramdene,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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With Orlando trailing by 2 points less than a minute into the fourth quarter at Spectrum Center following a disastrous third, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball looked to swing the ball to Nick Smith Jr. waiting in the corner.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2025
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, (Last week: 1) The betting odds have swung massively into Gilgeous-Alexander’s favor with Jokić missing so many games recently with an ankle injury.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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American Airlines flight to Tokyo from New York was diverted to Dallas, Texas for ‘maintenance issue’ Flight Aware data shows an American Airlines flight from New York City to Tokyo get diverted to Dallas, Texas on Monday after experiencing a maintenance issue, nearly 7 hours into the flight.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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The trustees opposed have previously expressed concern that the financial incentives offered to Crown would divert tax dollars away from local governments and other taxing bodies, like the school district.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Supporting others in tangible ways - like volunteering, donating, or organizing - can help redirect anxiety into collective empowerment.—
Nicole Lipkin,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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The severity of the symptoms of arterial thrombosis in the leg varies, depending on which artery is affected, the time course of the artery blockage (sudden versus gradual), and whether the body can redirect blood flow through other arteries.—
Alicen Nelson MD,
Verywell Health,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Meister can often immediately identify on an MRI that a pitcher throws a sweeper—a hard slider that the pitcher whips to get about fifteen inches of horizontal movement from the ball.—
Lindsey Adler,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2025
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The moment, which made the episode’s final cut, occurs when Drummond whips Mark S. around and pushes him into a wall.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflect. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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