safeguard

noun

safe·guard | \ ˈsāf-ˌgärd

Definition of safeguard

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : pass, safe-conduct

b : convoy, escort

2a : a precautionary measure, stipulation, or device

b : a technical contrivance to prevent accident

safeguard

verb

safeguarded; safeguarding; safeguards

Definition of safeguard (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to provide a safeguard for

2 : to make safe : protect

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about safeguard

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Choose the Right Synonym for safeguard

Verb

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack. defend the country protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure. a hard hat to protect your head shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack. shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger. White House entrances are well guarded safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger. our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Examples of safeguard in a Sentence

Noun

The new law has safeguards to protect the rights of citizens. There are many safeguards built into the system to prevent fraud.

Verb

laws that safeguard the rights of citizens You need to safeguard your computer against viruses. There are steps you can take to safeguard against identity theft.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

With space so sensitive and missile technology so similar, these safeguards are meant to protect national security as well as American intellectual property. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Can the U.S. Save Alcantara, Brazil’s Cursed Spaceport?," 20 Mar. 2019 In states that already require background checks on all handgun sales, this simple safeguard has reduced rates of firearm homicides and suicides. — Shannon Watts, Vogue, "Toxic Masculinity Is Killing Us," 31 Jan. 2019 The bill provides fewer environmental safeguards on forest management, which can include the removal of certain trees and debris or dead underbrush. — Kate Irby, idahostatesman, "Spending bill that just passed includes long-sought funding fix for fighting wildfires | Idaho Statesman," 25 Mar. 2018 The measure, known as the backstop, is a safeguard that would keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU and removes the need for checks along the border until a permanent new trading relationship is in place. — Jill Lawless, The Seattle Times, "May delay: UK PM asks lawmakers for more time on Brexit," 12 Feb. 2019 The judges also found that there were insufficient safeguards put in place to govern access to communications data. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "“Bulk interception” by GCHQ (and NSA) violated human rights charter, European court rules," 13 Sep. 2018 Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia could develop nuclear weapons if the U.S. technology were transferred without proper safeguards. — Chad Day, The Seattle Times, "Flynn pushed to share nuclear tech with Saudis, report says," 20 Feb. 2019 Outside safety experts have questioned how the FAA gave the green light for such a design lacking redundant software or hardware safeguards. — Andrew Tangel, WSJ, "Boeing and Regulators Delay Jetliner Fixes Prompted by Lion Air Crash," 10 Feb. 2019 But the North did not complete a safeguards agreement with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). — Oren Dorell, USA TODAY, "North Korea's threat to cancel Trump-Kim summit is just the latest of broken promises," 16 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Doorjambs include an added reinforced plate to help safeguard your family and home. — The Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping, "GH Seal Spotlight: Window World Doors Presented by Therma Tru," 5 Apr. 2019 Very brave and talented people!’’ To ensure a clear path for getting evacuees to the hospital and to safeguard their privacy, authorities ordered the media to move away from the cave before the boys came out. — Tassanee Vejpongsa And Kaweewit Kaewjinda, BostonGlobe.com, "The hidden, high-tech world of communications at Fenway Park," 8 July 2018 The time for evaluations is just about done and over the coming days teams will begin to further cocoon themselves in an effort to safeguard their strategies. — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Besides pick, Bucks face other decisions on draft night," 18 June 2018 Three days later, Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy introduced a bill to safeguard pets. — Anchorage Daily News, "Parkland kids are rewriting the playbook," 23 Mar. 2018 But at a time when the number of drones—hobbyist and commercial—will only increase, is there anything airports and governments can do to safeguard against delays, and, in the worst circumstances, fatal collisions? — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "What Are Airports Going to Do About Drones?," 9 Jan. 2019 To further safeguard liberty, the framers insisted upon accountability for the exercise of executive power. — Adam Liptak, BostonGlobe.com, "As judge, Kavanaugh has been a conservative stalwart," 10 July 2018 But finding a product that really works to safeguard against ultraviolat A (UVA) rays isn’t always so easy. — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "Study finds 67 percent of sunscreens don’t actually work — find one that does," 22 May 2018 The bill passed in 1992 with the blessing of the professional leagues eager to safeguard against game-fixing. — Marcus Hayes, Philly.com, "In common-sense ruling, legal sports betting will exist outside the desert | Marcus Hayes," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'safeguard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.