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
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.
MacKinnon scored a beautiful overtime goal, his second of the game, to help the Colorado Avalanche fend off Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025 Surveillance video from a neighboring hotel showed Sanchez grabbing and throwing Tole into an alleyway, who pepper-sprayed and then stabbed Sanchez to fend off the attack, according to court documents. Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 3 Dec. 2025 Seeing Cami steal the bad-cop role from Tommy and repeatedly splash water in Alan’s face is pretty great, especially with Tommy playing backup and fending off the concerned waiter. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2025 Voyagers are not typically equipped with specific electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures to fend off the likes of GPS interference. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fend off

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Cite this Entry

“Fend off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend%20off. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.

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