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deflect
[dih-flekt]
verb (used with or without object)
to bend or turn aside; turn from a true course or straight line; swerve.
deflect
/ ɪˈڱɛ /
verb
to turn or cause to turn aside from a course; swerve
Other Word Forms
- deflectable adjective
- deflector noun
- ˈڱٴǰ noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of deflect1
Example Sentences
When asked about the accusations of racial profiling, the White House deflected.
It may serve his interests by distracting and deflecting but abdicates presidential responsibility.
“ he is doing is classic Donald Trump. He is trying to deflect and distract,” he said.
Slicker was not the only culprit as Lewis Ferguson deflected the ball past him after the Scotland defence made a mess of clearing a corner to hand Iceland a 2-1 lead after John Souttar's equaliser.
"He wanted to show that we were all resilient and he wasn't going to be deflected from his public sector service because of what had happened."
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When To Use
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!
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