Deflect meaning

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

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.

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To turn aside or cause to turn aside; bend or deviate.
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To turn or make go to one side.
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To make (something) deviate from its original path.
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(intransitive) To deviate from its original path.
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(figuratively) To avoid addressing (questions, criticism, etc.).

The Prime Minister deflected some increasingly pointed questions by claiming he had an appointment.

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(figuratively) To divert (attention, etc.).
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Origin of deflect

Latin dēflectere dē- de- flectere to bend

Sentence Examples

  • Prisms deflect rays of light towards their bases.

  • The rain began, light at first, and he adjusted his helmet to deflect the droplets from blowing in his face.

  • "You need more of an angle when you deflect," he told her.

  • My little brother has the ablility to deflect any blame off himself and on to me, so he never gets in trouble.

  • The verniers having been read, the cross-arm is rotated so as to deflect the needle a in the opposite direction, and a new setting is taken.

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Words near deflect in the Dictionary