deflect

Everyday

1. To deflect something means to make it change direction, especially by hitting it, like a ball bouncing off a player. tree →
2. To deflect attention, blame or a question means to turn it away from yourself or onto something else. tree →
3. (science) Light, a ray or a magnet's needle is deflected when it is turned to a new direction. tree →

In the lessons

In sport it describes a ball hitting a player and changing direction (a deflected shot). In science lessons, mirrors deflect light and magnets deflect a compass needle. In stories and everyday life it shows a character avoiding blame or a hard question. Phrases: «deflect the blame», «deflect criticism», «deflect attention».

Examples

• The goalkeeper deflected the ball over the bar. tree →
• The shot was deflected off a defender and went in. tree →
• A mirror can deflect a beam of light. tree →
• The shield deflected the arrow. tree →
• He tried to deflect the blame onto his sister. tree →
• She deflected the question by talking about the weather. tree →
• The magnet deflected the compass needle. tree →

Note

Regular verb: deflected. Noun: deflection. In football, a goal that is deflected may count as an own goal if it was heading wide. Not the same as «reflect»: reflect means bounce back (a mirror reflects); deflect means turn aside. Deflecting blame is often seen as unfair.