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

Clark tried valiantly to fend off the Russian attack. —Heather Abbott, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

These younger cubs, while still hazardous, lacked the experience to fend off their attackers when confronted by skilled trappers. —Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025

The party won the races for governor, attorney general, and lieutenant governor, decisively fending off Republican hopes of building on the swing toward a red Virginia that occurred during the 2024 presidential election. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 12 Nov. 2025

Neighbors taking more collective ownership in fending off large fires is on the rise in the region. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for fend off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff