par·ry 
/ˈperi/ verb
par·ries; par·ried; par·ry·ing /ˈperi/ verb 1 : to defend yourself by turning or pushing aside (a punch, a weapon, etc.) [+ obj] ▪ parry [=deflect] a blow ▪ He parried the thrust of his opponent's sword. [no obj] ▪ He parried and then threw a punch. 2 [+ obj] : to avoid giving a direct answer to (a question) by being skillful or clever
▪ She cleverly parried the reporters' questions.
▪ She cleverly parried the reporters' questions.
— parry noun, plural parries [count]
