1. the action of changing direction or causing something to change direction
2. the action of turning something aside or preventing it from continuing on its intended course
3. the bending or displacement of a structure under load
Usage: engineering; physics

Examples

• The ball’s deflections off the wall made it hard to catch.
• Wind deflections caused the airplane to adjust its flight path.
• The engineer measured the beam’s deflections under different weights.
• Multiple deflections of the light beam created interesting patterns.
• The goalkeeper made several impressive deflections during the match.
• Bridge deflections must be calculated to ensure structural safety.
• The deflections in her argument avoided the main issue.