deflection
noun
de·flec·tion
di-ˈflek-shən 
dē-
1
: the act of changing or causing to change direction
2
: the departure of an indicator or pointer from the zero reading on the scale of an instrument
Examples of deflection in a Sentence
measuring the angle of deflection
He scored with a deflection off another player's stick.
Recent Examples on the Web
Guerra sent the deflection off the inside of the right post and into the net.
—
ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Last season with the Commanders, Jones had 41 tackles, five pass deflections and one quarterback hit in 12 games, including seven starts.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2026
Get burned by the wrong deflections, and the climb becomes too steep.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Similarly, Early’s dissolute failson feels less like a self-portrait than like a darkly comic deflection, a gargoyle-ish stand-in for his creator’s anxieties.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflection
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ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Last season with the Commanders, Jones had 41 tackles, five pass deflections and one quarterback hit in 12 games, including seven starts.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2026
Get burned by the wrong deflections, and the climb becomes too steep.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Similarly, Early’s dissolute failson feels less like a self-portrait than like a darkly comic deflection, a gargoyle-ish stand-in for his creator’s anxieties.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflection
Cite this Entry
“Deflection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflection. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
deflection
noun
de·flec·tion
di-ˈflek-shən
1
: a turning aside or deviation from a straight line
2
: the departure of an indicator or pointer from the zero reading on the scale of an instrument
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