deflect

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Exxon Mobil counterpunched with its defamation claim, Mr. Bonta’s spokesperson called it “another attempt from Exxon Mobil to deflect attention from its own unlawful deception.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

In Babies, Steven often uses humour to deflect from what he is really feeling, a coping mechanism that masks the depth of his grief.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

At news conferences, she will deflect questions by trying to include her teammates.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

When called to testify before an oversight board, a police official can deflect accusations of targeting specific racial groups or poorer neighborhoods, claiming that they are merely following the objective dictates of a machine.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

Still, his altruism in general toward his fellow man did not deflect him from more personal rivalries.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson