Words / B2

di-FLEKT/dɪˈflekt/

To deflect is to make something change path, or to avoid a question: deflect the ball; deflect criticism. Divert (already in the dictionary) is close for traffic; evade is stronger for questions. Ministers deflected questions about scripts. Do not mix with deflate (let air out) or reflect (bounce back as image).

Meaning

To make something change direction; also to avoid answering fully.

Examples

• “Ministers tried to deflect questions about the unmarked scripts.”
• “The barrier deflected debris from the track, which is the physical sense.”

Good to know

deflect a question / criticism / the ball. Close (roads): divert. Stronger (questions): evade. Mix-up: reflect / deflate. Politics and sport.

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