1. to ward off or deflect (a weapon or attack)
Usage: fencing; martial arts
2. to evade or turn aside (a question or criticism) skillfully

1. a defensive movement that wards off an attack
Usage: fencing; martial arts

Examples

• The fencer managed to parry his opponent’s thrust.
• She parried the sword strike with her shield.
• The politician skillfully parried the reporter’s difficult questions.
• He tried to parry her criticism with humor.
• The boxer’s quick parry saved him from a knockout punch.
• Her parry was perfectly timed to deflect the attack.
• The candidate’s parry of the accusation seemed rehearsed.