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
More than just a work of art — or a metaphor for an oppressed people’s revenge fantasy — the contraption becomes a bargaining chip in a desperate bid by Indian royalty to fend off British conquest.
—
Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023
Or maybe there’s an unconscious impulse afoot to fend off the existential threat of artificial intelligence and virtual worlds.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2023
Haim Peri, a long-time peace activist, fended off the attackers long enough for his wife to hide, evading capture.
—Isabel Coles, WSJ, 26 Nov. 2023
Gisele Bündchen may have to fend off another wave of rumors after spending the day before Thanksgiving in Costa Rica with jiujitsu instructor Joaquim Valente.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023
Hoping to fend off Seasonal Affective Disorder, or FOMO triggered by highlight reels from friends’ (and strangers’) glamorous skiing escapades in Aspen and romantic rendezvous with mulled wine in Vienna?
—Patricia Garcia, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2023
That also underscored the candidates' differences on how much to help Ukraine fend off Russia's invasion.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2023
Some Palestinians carried white flags, hoping to fend off attacks.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
She’s given the task of finding warriors who can fend off an impending invasion by a tyrannical despot.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 7 Nov. 2023
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Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023
Or maybe there’s an unconscious impulse afoot to fend off the existential threat of artificial intelligence and virtual worlds.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2023
Haim Peri, a long-time peace activist, fended off the attackers long enough for his wife to hide, evading capture.
—Isabel Coles, WSJ, 26 Nov. 2023
Gisele Bündchen may have to fend off another wave of rumors after spending the day before Thanksgiving in Costa Rica with jiujitsu instructor Joaquim Valente.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023
Hoping to fend off Seasonal Affective Disorder, or FOMO triggered by highlight reels from friends’ (and strangers’) glamorous skiing escapades in Aspen and romantic rendezvous with mulled wine in Vienna?
—Patricia Garcia, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2023
That also underscored the candidates' differences on how much to help Ukraine fend off Russia's invasion.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2023
Some Palestinians carried white flags, hoping to fend off attacks.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
She’s given the task of finding warriors who can fend off an impending invasion by a tyrannical despot.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 7 Nov. 2023
See More
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 11 Dec. 2023.
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