fend off

phrasal 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 Now, instead of soaring prices, China is trying to fend off a potentially debilitating cycle of deflation, or chronically falling prices. Dake Kang and Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 That means collecting resources, establishing a settlement and fending off attackers. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 Scott Faber, a former lobbyist for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, recalls fending off proposals for more sampling, testing and reporting. Will Fitzgibbon, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Saudi Crown just could not muster the fuel to fend off Ushba Tesoro. Guy Martin, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Porcupines can use their quills to fend off predators. Helena Wegner, Idaho Statesman, 22 Feb. 2024 And winning is not what is happening for Ukraine on the battlefield today, where soldiers daily fend off dozens of Russian artillery, drone, and ground attacks, and have dug deeper defensive positions all along the front line. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Feb. 2024 This means that, barring unforeseen circumstances — and despite polls showing widespread disapproval of a Biden-Trump rematch — the pair will likely fend off their challengers and face off once again in November. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024 The foul negated a potential momentum swing and allowed the 49ers to reset and fend off the Shockers, securing an 11-point win in front of 4,215 Charlotte fans. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fend off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near fend off

Cite this Entry

“Fend off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend%20off. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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