1. past tense of parry; deflected or warded off (a weapon or attack)
Usage: fencing; combat
2. past tense of parry; skillfully avoided or evaded (a question, criticism, or difficult situation)

Examples

• The fencer parried his opponent’s thrust with a quick movement.
• She parried the sword strike just in time to avoid injury.
• The politician parried the reporter’s tough questions about the scandal.
• He parried her criticism with a joke to lighten the mood.
• The boxer parried the punch and countered immediately.
• The CEO parried concerns about layoffs during the meeting.