deflect

Etymology

From Latin deflecto, from de- (“away”) + flecto (“to bend”).

verb

1. (transitive) To make (something) deviate from its original path.
2. (transitive, ball games) To touch the ball, often unwittingly, after a shot or a sharp pass, thereby making it unpredictable for the other players.
   The defender deflected the cross into his own net.
3. (intransitive) To deviate from its original path.
4. (transitive, figurative) To avoid addressing (questions, criticism, etc.).
   The Prime Minister deflected some increasingly pointed questions by claiming he had an appointment.
5. (transitive, figurative) To divert (attention, etc.).
   Critics suggest that Fernández, an unashamed populist and nationalist, is seeking to deflect attention from social disharmony at home. 3 January 2013, Luke Harding, Uki Goni, “Argentina urges UK to hand back Falklands and 'end colonialism”, in The Guardian