Meaning & use
stop deflecting
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
stop avoiding or turning away from a question, criticism, or responsibility
Grammar: Used as a direct command, often followed by 'and' or a clause: Stop deflecting and answer me.
Patterns
- stop deflecting
- stop deflecting from something
- stop deflecting and do something
Stop deflecting and tell me why you were late.
Whenever I ask about the money, he tells me to stop deflecting.
She told her colleague to stop deflecting and focus on the real problem.
Common combinations
- stop deflecting blame
- He needs to stop deflecting blame onto others.
- stop deflecting and answer
- Stop deflecting and answer the question.
- stop deflecting from the issue
- The manager told him to stop deflecting from the issue.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stop evading
- Stop evading is more formal and often used for avoiding questions or duties; stop deflecting is more conversational.
- stop dodging
- Stop dodging is informal and means stop avoiding something, often a question or responsibility.
Opposites
Word family
- deflect verb
- To turn something aside, especially criticism or a question.
- deflection noun
- The act of avoiding or turning something away.
Commonly confused: stop deflecting or deflect?
stop deflecting vs deflect
Deflect is the base verb; stop deflecting is a command using the -ing form after 'stop'.
Practice
What does someone mean when they say 'stop deflecting'?
Choose one answer.
'Stop deflecting' means stop avoiding the main issue or question. Option B is a physical meaning of 'deflect' but not the usual figurative use; option C is about light, not conversation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stop deflecting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.