deflected; deflecting; deflects
1
: to cause (something) to change direction especially from a straight course
armor that deflects bullets
deflecting attention from the troubled economy
deflect a question
2
: to keep (something, as a question) from affecting or being directed at a person or thing
was able to deflect criticism
: to hit something and change direction
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
His shot missed, deflecting glass onto Long Khac Nguyen’s face and setting him off on an immediate rampage, shooting several hostages, three fatally.
—
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Cade Cowell, on the counter-attack, played a low cross from the right side to a charging Hall for a first-touch finish that deflected off goalkeeper Evan Louro and rolled into the net to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Kempe finally got the Kings going when Artemi Panarin's 51st assist deflected in off his skate, but Stamkos scored just over two minutes later.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Questioned about her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, Bondi deflected.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Cade Cowell, on the counter-attack, played a low cross from the right side to a charging Hall for a first-touch finish that deflected off goalkeeper Evan Louro and rolled into the net to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Kempe finally got the Kings going when Artemi Panarin's 51st assist deflected in off his skate, but Stamkos scored just over two minutes later.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Questioned about her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, Bondi deflected.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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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