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
During the special election cycle, Grijalva fended off challenges from the political left, right and center.
—
Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
In place of men, Ukraine has increasingly used machines to fend off Russian assaults, preserving the lives of its soldiers and civilians.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
The boyfriend was riding behind Scott at the time and rushed to try and fend off the dogs before calling for help.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
The immune system has different ways of fending off attacks from pathogens.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fend off
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Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
In place of men, Ukraine has increasingly used machines to fend off Russian assaults, preserving the lives of its soldiers and civilians.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
The boyfriend was riding behind Scott at the time and rushed to try and fend off the dogs before calling for help.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
The immune system has different ways of fending off attacks from pathogens.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
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 4 Oct. 2025.
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