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
Google is one of a number of U.S. tech companies trying to fend off the Trump administration’s antirust pursuits, most of which is held over from the Biden administration.
—
Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
Meta is also currently on trial at the same courthouse in Washington, D.C., seeking to fend off allegations from the Federal Trade Commission that the social media giant entrenched its monopoly over social networking with its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2025
Led by power couple Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Maria (Rutina Wesley), the survivors band together, stick to their defense plan, and fend off the upstart invasion.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2025
That spirit-crushing feeling of powerlessness is what director Nabulsi aims to fend off, admittedly through not always effective narrative means, but with emotional sincerity nonetheless.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fend off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
Meta is also currently on trial at the same courthouse in Washington, D.C., seeking to fend off allegations from the Federal Trade Commission that the social media giant entrenched its monopoly over social networking with its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2025
Led by power couple Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Maria (Rutina Wesley), the survivors band together, stick to their defense plan, and fend off the upstart invasion.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2025
That spirit-crushing feeling of powerlessness is what director Nabulsi aims to fend off, admittedly through not always effective narrative means, but with emotional sincerity nonetheless.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
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 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share