fend off
verb
fended off; fending off; fends off
: to defend oneself against (someone or something)
They succeeded in fending off the attack/attackers.
They have had to fend off allegations of voter fraud.
Examples of fend off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the intervening years, the immune systems of virtually every human on the planet have developed some armor with which to fend off SARS-2, either because they have been previously infected or been vaccinated against the virus or both.
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Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
Or damn near the entire overtime period, as Oettinger fended off shot after shot, the 11th one finally getting past as Matt Boldy won a puck battle in the corner, went straight to the top of the blue paint, and deflected in a Jared Spurgeon shot for the game-winner.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
American forces have used thousands of missiles in attacking Iran while allies have powered through stockpiles in fending off Tehran’s assaults, leaving reserves low and forcing the Pentagon to rush hardware to the Gulf.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Warsh strongly defended his independence from politics, trying to fend off tough questions about his financial disclosures and recent reversal on setting interest rates.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fend off
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Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
Or damn near the entire overtime period, as Oettinger fended off shot after shot, the 11th one finally getting past as Matt Boldy won a puck battle in the corner, went straight to the top of the blue paint, and deflected in a Jared Spurgeon shot for the game-winner.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
American forces have used thousands of missiles in attacking Iran while allies have powered through stockpiles in fending off Tehran’s assaults, leaving reserves low and forcing the Pentagon to rush hardware to the Gulf.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Warsh strongly defended his independence from politics, trying to fend off tough questions about his financial disclosures and recent reversal on setting interest rates.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fend off
Cite this Entry
“Fend off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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