as in turns
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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Recent Examples of deflects
Greaves, who earned his 17th win, deflects praise like a wrist shot from distance.
—
Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
With most Americans unhappy with the state of the economy, the president gets combative and deflects blame.
—ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
The Earth’s magnetic field deflects most of the sun’s particles, but some enter at the poles, where interactions with our atmosphere create the aurora borealis.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025
Gustav frequently deflects Kemp’s requests for notes, pushing her questions back on her.
—Thomas Page, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
This is the first time the country has had a 41-year-old vice president serving alongside a 79-year-old president who routinely deflects attention from his lame-duck status by signaling his interest in serving an unconstitutional third term in office.
—Daniel Bush, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Linebacker Cole Nilles deflects a pass on second down.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Oct. 2025
When asked about his own legacy — a question that comes up more frequently as tributes and retrospectives accumulate — Hawke deflects with characteristic self-awareness.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
And the attorney general, appointed by that president, does not say those photos do not exist and instead deflects the question with insults about the senator.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
With most Americans unhappy with the state of the economy, the president gets combative and deflects blame.
—ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
The Earth’s magnetic field deflects most of the sun’s particles, but some enter at the poles, where interactions with our atmosphere create the aurora borealis.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025
Gustav frequently deflects Kemp’s requests for notes, pushing her questions back on her.
—Thomas Page, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
This is the first time the country has had a 41-year-old vice president serving alongside a 79-year-old president who routinely deflects attention from his lame-duck status by signaling his interest in serving an unconstitutional third term in office.
—Daniel Bush, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Linebacker Cole Nilles deflects a pass on second down.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Oct. 2025
When asked about his own legacy — a question that comes up more frequently as tributes and retrospectives accumulate — Hawke deflects with characteristic self-awareness.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
And the attorney general, appointed by that president, does not say those photos do not exist and instead deflects the question with insults about the senator.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deflects
Verb
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Stafford, who turns 38 on Saturday, worked through a back issue that sidelined him for all of training camp and passed for a league-best 46 touchdowns and 4,707 yards.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Leavitt turns the tables on media outrage as FBI seizes Fulton election documents.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One thing that has always bothered me is that the fridge sits in the back left corner of the hall-like kitchen, but the door swings open to the right.—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
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Couvent is cultivating its own scene in the south of France, one that swings more Provence than Cote d’Azur.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Spending millions on ineligible recipients only diverts resources from those most in need.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Instead, the funds are being used to produce a narrative that diverts attention from a major public health issue and discourages the press from covering it.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of relying on heavy, mechanically complex actuators like those found on fighters such as the F-35B or Russia’s Su-37, the new system reshapes and redirects engine exhaust using purely aerodynamic surfaces.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Feb. 2026
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One hack for a small space in need of division is the Japanese noren—a room divider made from cloth that redirects the flow of a space by creating, in effect, a partition wall.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The second installment, which veers away significantly from Quinn's The Viscount Who Loved Me, sees Anthony caught in a good old-fashioned love triangle, with Kate's younger sister, Edwina.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
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But the ad also veers away from the usual Bud Light formula.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deflects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deflects. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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