deflect
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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
- deflectable adjective
- deflector noun
Etymology
Origin of deflect
1545–55; < Latin dēflectere to bend down, turn aside, equivalent to dē- de- + flectere to bend, turn
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.
In Babies, Steven often uses humour to deflect from what he is really feeling, a coping mechanism that masks the depth of his grief.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
Mortensen appears to deflect one that flies in the direction of where the child is sitting.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
In December, The Times revealed that the city’s after-action report had been altered to deflect criticism of LAFD’s failure to predeploy engines and crews to the Palisades, among other shortcomings.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
With the puck inches away from sneaking past him, a desperate, flailing Hellebuyck reached back and somehow managed to deflect it away at the last possible moment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
Still, his altruism in general toward his fellow man did not deflect him from more personal rivalries.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
