MEANING
1. To change something’s direction away from its original course.
2. To turn attention, blame, or inquiry away from its target.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- deflect a blow
On the page
The shield deflected the blow.
The panel deflected the falling debris.
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- deflect
- Past tense
- deflected
- Past participle
- deflected
- Present participle
- deflecting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- deflect
- Present continuous
- am/is/are deflecting
- Present perfect
- have/has deflected
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been deflecting
- Past
- deflected
- Past continuous
- was/were deflecting
- Past perfect
- had deflected
- Past perfect continuous
- had been deflecting
- Future
- will deflect
- Future continuous
- will be deflecting
- Future perfect
- will have deflected
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been deflecting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: deflect; deflects; deflected; deflected; deflecting Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: deflects.
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