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
To fend off mirror-neuron enthusiasts, Hickok began stating at the start of his research talks that his work had nothing to do with mirror neurons — a choice that inadvertently landed him in the center of the debate.
—
Quanta Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Can the sports leagues fend off the sort of corruption that resulted in nationwide bans on sports betting in the past?
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The court filing includes text messages that paint a picture of how FirstEnergy relied on Randazzo to craft legislation that benefited FirstEnergy and fend off an audit or rate case that might have cost the company money.
—Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
As well as making your run much easier, strength work is important for fending off injury.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2024
The new addition comes as Apple (AAPL) tries to fend off competitors and revive sales in a rocky market with growing headwinds, ranging from an economic slowdown to geopolitical tensions and rising nationalist sentiment.
—Laura He, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
The Bad Boys movies follow Smith, 55, and Lawrence, 58, as a pair of detectives working for the Miami Police Department; but instead of fending off baddies as usual, the latest installment sees the duo fighting for survival on the wrong side of the law.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
In 2015, amid one of the worst financial crises in Greece’s history, he was appointed by the country’s new left-wing government to try to save the financial system and to fend off punishing austerity measures that the country’s creditors had proposed in exchange for a bailout.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Hernandez’s defense was not enough to fend off her firing.
—Joey Flechas, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Quanta Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Can the sports leagues fend off the sort of corruption that resulted in nationwide bans on sports betting in the past?
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The court filing includes text messages that paint a picture of how FirstEnergy relied on Randazzo to craft legislation that benefited FirstEnergy and fend off an audit or rate case that might have cost the company money.
—Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
As well as making your run much easier, strength work is important for fending off injury.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2024
The new addition comes as Apple (AAPL) tries to fend off competitors and revive sales in a rocky market with growing headwinds, ranging from an economic slowdown to geopolitical tensions and rising nationalist sentiment.
—Laura He, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
The Bad Boys movies follow Smith, 55, and Lawrence, 58, as a pair of detectives working for the Miami Police Department; but instead of fending off baddies as usual, the latest installment sees the duo fighting for survival on the wrong side of the law.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
In 2015, amid one of the worst financial crises in Greece’s history, he was appointed by the country’s new left-wing government to try to save the financial system and to fend off punishing austerity measures that the country’s creditors had proposed in exchange for a bailout.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Hernandez’s defense was not enough to fend off her firing.
—Joey Flechas, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Fend off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend%20off. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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