deflect
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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deflects,
present (3rd person singular)
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deflected,
past participle, past
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deflecting
present participle
verb
Usage
What does deflect mean? To deflect something is to redirect it—to cause it to move in a direction that’s different from the course it had been on, as in The goalie was able to deflect the ball away from the goal. Deflect can also be used in a passive way meaning for something to have its course changed, as in The ball deflected after hitting the goalie’s outstretched hand. Deflect can also be used in a figurative way meaning to do something to avoid questioning or scrutiny, as in When asked about the scandal, the senator deflected by giving a vague answer and changing the subject. The act or process of deflecting is deflection, which can be used for both the literal and figurative senses of deflect (and more technical uses). Example: The meteor is headed straight for Earth—our only chance is to deflect it using the space laser!
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deflectsimple
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deflectssimple
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have deflectedperfect
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has deflectedperfect
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am deflectingprogressive
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are deflectingprogressive
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is deflectingprogressive
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have been deflectingperfect progressive
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has been deflectingperfect progressive
Past
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deflectedsimple
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had deflectedperfect
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was deflectingprogressive
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were deflectingprogressive
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had been deflectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deflect
1545–55; < Latin dēflectere to bend down, turn aside, equivalent to dē- de- + flectere to bend, turn
Explanation
The verb deflect describes blocking something or changing its course. Hockey goalies deflect the flying puck with their sticks or blockers, making it travel in a different direction, preferably to a teammate's stick. In a cartoon, a mouse might ask an approaching cat, "Hey, what's that up in the sky?" When the cat looks up, the mouse runs away, successful in his attempt to deflect the cat's attention. When you deflect, you throw someone or something off course, often by using a distraction. Another way to deflect something — such as criticism — is to blame someone else. Eventually the truth, like the cat who quickly sees there's nothing unusual up in the sky, catches up with those who deflect.
Vocabulary lists containing deflect
Unit 1: Telling Details
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The Sea of Monsters
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
At the time, Freyd called her acronym capturing how perpetrators deflect responsibility “very speculative.”
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
In an attempt to deflect attention away from himself, Michael stressed how Sharon had been acting like a "totally different person" of late.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
“While we appreciate Kalshi’s instinct to deflect attention, there is no evidence of wash trading on our platform,” said Crypto.com spokesman Al D’Agostino.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Los Palos Street Operating LLC, a subsidiary of Altus Power, responded to the filing on Thursday, saying it’s Lineage’s attempt to deflect responsibility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
At least Fyrian never attempted to deflect or obfuscate Luna’s many questions.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
And when asked, Gillies deflects calls for the leadership to apologise, saying that many lives had, in fact, been saved because faithful Jehovah's Witnesses had not been exposed to blood contamination scandals.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
He deflects the question initially, offering something better.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2025
In the event that he does have a partner, and that partner raises problems with the way he lives, Wallen’s narrator deflects blame.
From Salon ● May 16, 2025
Michaels deflects the question, shifting the spotlight from him to the show: “I’m going to do it as long as I feel I can do it,” he said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2024
I go for Zelda because she teleports and deflects projectiles and shoots fireballs from great distances, which are all optimal moves for any player looking to avoid hand-to-hand combat.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Never one to take his mediocrity on the chin, Waititi deflected the negativity outward, which, as we know, always paints someone in a good light!
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
Speaking to Slate in her office the day before, she often deflected criticism of administration policies on key issues—noting that she raised concern with key stakeholders.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
At the end of the half, Jaion Smith of Santa Margarita deflected a possible third-down touchdown pass in the end zone and Jake Martin followed by blocking a St. John Bosco field-goal attempt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Jeffrey Maier, a 12-year-old Yankees fan, lunged over the fence and deflected the ball into the seats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Mountaineering tends to draw men and women not easily deflected from their goals.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
I had only one sartorial concern at the time: deflecting male attention whenever possible.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Tuchel has spent recent months deflecting debate about whether Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa should take England's number 10 role when the stakes are at their highest.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Berenger won’t be able to get out of this jam, though deflecting the unwanted is one of his specialties.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
After a long legal saga, TikTok has established a majority American-owned joint venture to operate its US business, deflecting the threat of a ban over its Chinese ownership.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
Boris, according to Blake, was the "feather in his cap," earning him accolades inside the British spy agency and deflecting any remote suspicion that Blake might be working for the enemy.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
