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deflect

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Deflect is defined as to cause something to change direction, or to deter someone from his/her intended purpose.

(verb)

When all the attention is focused on you and you change the subject and get people to change what they are talking about, this is an example of a time when you deflect the conversation.

See deflect in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to turn or make go to one side; bend; swerve

Origin: L deflectere < de-, from + flectere, to bend

Related Forms:

deflective adjective
deflector noun

See deflect in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intr. & tr.v. de·flect·ed, de·flect·ing, de·flects

To turn aside or cause to turn aside; bend or deviate.

Origin:

Origin: Latin dēflectere

Origin: : dē-, de-

Origin: + flectere, to bend

Related Forms:

de·flectˈa·ble adjective

de·flecˈtive adjective

de·flecˈtor noun

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