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
The Cult of the Beaver has to fend off pretenders.
—
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 13 Jan. 2026
And Anthony Davis fended off pointed comments about his fit, clad in Packers gear like a Champs mannequin.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Orion also traveled with a massive club and shield to fend off large predators like lions, bears, or wild boar.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Fearing blackmail and attempting to deny his true leanings, Maurice has been fending off Alec’s advances since their encounter, and now, offended at being rebuffed, Alec has been threatening to publicly expose him.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
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.
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 13 Jan. 2026
And Anthony Davis fended off pointed comments about his fit, clad in Packers gear like a Champs mannequin.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Orion also traveled with a massive club and shield to fend off large predators like lions, bears, or wild boar.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Fearing blackmail and attempting to deny his true leanings, Maurice has been fending off Alec’s advances since their encounter, and now, offended at being rebuffed, Alec has been threatening to publicly expose him.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
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 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share