deflect

verb

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

1. To make (something) deviate from its original path or position.
2. 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. To deviate from an original path or position.
4. To avoid addressing (questions, criticism, etc.).

   “The Prime Minister deflected some increasingly pointed questions by claiming he had an appointment.”

5. To divert (attention, etc.).

   “Certainly there was much in the relationship itself that, with so much energy deflected into logistic maneuvering was never […] "worked out."”

   “Critics suggest that Fernández, an unashamed populist and nationalist, is seeking to deflect attention from social disharmony at home.”

6. To redirect culpability to avoid it.