as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from
learned to use humor to fend herself from criticism
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fend
Soler was throwing haymakers, while López was throwing punches to fend him off.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Apple Maps got me as far as the hospital, a single-story brick building identifiable by the Art Deco letters over the main entrance, then left me to fend for myself in my search for the local museum.
—Beverly Gage, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
With the husky's family absent from the neighborhood for weeks, their neighbors and Simpson believe the dog's owners could've been deported, leaving the dog to fend for himself.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Citymeals fills the gap on weekends, but older adults are otherwise largely left to fend for themselves.
—Beth Shapiro, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fend
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Apple Maps got me as far as the hospital, a single-story brick building identifiable by the Art Deco letters over the main entrance, then left me to fend for myself in my search for the local museum.
—Beverly Gage, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
With the husky's family absent from the neighborhood for weeks, their neighbors and Simpson believe the dog's owners could've been deported, leaving the dog to fend for himself.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Citymeals fills the gap on weekends, but older adults are otherwise largely left to fend for themselves.
—Beth Shapiro, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fend
Verb
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The best carry-ons are durable enough to protect delicate items inside and withstand wear and tear, compact yet spacious enough to meet airline guidelines while providing room for all your essentials, and lightweight enough to lift into overhead bins.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Apr. 2026
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The two then embarked on a torrid love affair, but the dynamic between them shifted violently when Nancy discovered that her husband was actually trying to protect her rather than divorce her.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By March, Ukraine had dispatched more than two hundred military experts to help Persian Gulf nations defend against Iranian drone attacks.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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Helping defend Detroit star Cade Cunningham, Wagner recorded four of Orlando’s eight steals.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The system successfully protected the data center from grid instability and also safeguarded the grid from the major load swings generated by the data center.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Apr. 2026
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For now, the Prado is not exhibiting the work so much as safeguarding it, turning a private divorce into a public custody battle over one of the few Velázquez paintings still outside institutional hands.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Metcalf’s Linda adopts a facade of stoicism to shield her family from the grief erupting in her, Abbott’s Biff is forced to reveal the broken man behind the defiant veneer.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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The southern façade, for instance, is entirely solid—no windows, no openings—to shield the interior from the most brutal solar rays.—
Nick Mafi,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Anunoby began the series primarily guarding 6-10 center Onyeka Okongwu, a shooting threat who thrives at the pick-and-pop.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Lakers guard Jerry West hits a 60-foot desperation shot at the buzzer to tie Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fend. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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