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.
Once infected, the body demands even more energy to fend off infection, leading to a vicious cycle. Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025 At the same time, its AI offerings continue to boost investor confidence in Alphabet’s ability to fend off competition from rivals like OpenAI. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025 Building a story around a white family using a curandero to fend off a grieving Mexican mother on welfare is a pretty bad look. Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025 But the company has so far fended off challenges with its advertising business still growing. Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fend off

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fend off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend%20off. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!