deflect
To redirect attention, criticism, or questions away from oneself or a topic
Examples
In a meeting
“He tried to deflect questions about the budget by focusing on future opportunities.”
Over coffee
“She always deflects when I ask about her dating life.”
Why this word
avoid
Avoid is general evasion; deflect specifically means to redirect attention or criticism away from oneself
redirect
Redirect is neutral guidance elsewhere; deflect implies defensive maneuvering to escape scrutiny
dodge
Dodge suggests obvious evasion; deflect can be more subtle, turning aside rather than obviously escaping
Usage tip
Use when someone deliberately avoids addressing an issue directly, often by shifting focus elsewhere; can have negative connotations
Etymology
Latin: deflectere (de- 'away' + flectere 'to bend')
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Related words
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
concise
Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
ambiguous
Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or decided.
convey
To communicate or make an idea, feeling, or meaning known.
reiterate
To say something again for emphasis or clarity.
paraphrase
To restate something in different words to make it clearer or shorter.