noun

deflection

dih-FLEHK-shuhn

noun

The act of deflecting, or an instance of something being deflected.

"A slight deflection off the defender sent the ball into the net."

The act of avoiding a question or shifting blame elsewhere.

"His answer was pure deflection — he never addressed the actual complaint."

Bending or movement of a structure under a load.

"Engineers measured the beam's deflection under the test weight."

How to Use Deflection

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA change of direction caused by an impact, or a way of dodging responsibility.

Common pairings

deflection off the post a tactic of deflection beam deflection

deflections plural

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A slight _____ off the defender sent the ball into the net.

From Latin dēflexiō, from dēflectere ("to bend away") — the noun form of "deflect."

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