Definition of SAFEGUARD

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

The bill has new safeguards and money to reduce the chances of mentally ill individuals getting access to firearms. — Steve Bousquet, miamiherald, "Rick Scott wants federal grant to close loophole in background checks for gun buyers | Miami Herald," 14 May 2018 Without proper safeguards—by parents, if not toy companies—children are at risk, both individually and through collection of aggregate data about kids’ activities. — Marie-helen Maras, Scientific American, "4 Ways “Internet of Things” Toys Endanger Children," 10 May 2018 While minors rightly have more privacy safeguards online than adults—or are supposed to, anyway, thanks to a law called COPPA—they're still vulnerable to all kinds of digital maladies, including identity theft. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "Security News This Week: The Biggest DDoS For Hire Site Goes Down," 28 Apr. 2018 With ESA de-listing in 2007 and the Department of the Interior downgrading bird protection this year, the historic act remains the principal legal safeguard for this exclusively North American bird, now thriving nationwide with numbers above 40,000. — Time Staff, Time, "The 25 Moments From American History That Matter Right Now," 28 June 2018 Parents will receive information on resources on how to implement child safeguards and get free internet filters for home computers. — Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, NOLA.com, "John Bel Edwards signs bill to protect students from porn, cyberbullying," 5 June 2018 The accounting firm behind the Oscars has put new safeguards in place to help avoid another Envelopegate at this year’s ceremony. — Jodi Guglielmi, PEOPLE.com, "Predictions, Envelopegate and Time's Up! Everything to Know About Sunday's Oscars Ceremony," 3 Mar. 2018 Still, The Wall Street Journal report claims there are few safeguards in place preventing employees at third party apps from reading email. — refinery29.com, "The Gmail Privacy Controversy: How To Review Third Party Access To Your Inbox," 6 July 2018 But agency safeguards against potential conflicts of interest are not designed to prevent such future financial ties. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "Pharmalittle: FDA fails to police ‘pay-later’ conflicts; Philippines readies suit against Sanofi over dengue vaccine," 6 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Trump outlined steps by the administration to safeguard religious freedom and pledged to continue doing so. — Darlene Superville, chicagotribune.com, "Trump marks National Day of Prayer amid porn star hush money scandal," 3 May 2018 Others chose not to sue but worry that there's little to safeguard consumers from another medical technology company making similar mistakes. — Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, "As Theranos drama unwinds, former patients claim inaccurate tests changed their lives," 5 July 2018 For Chief Justice Roberts, safeguarding constitutional protections as technology advances has been a signature issue. — Brent Kendall, WSJ, "Police Need Warrant for Cellphone Location Data, Supreme Court Rules," 22 June 2018 Hundreds of North Korean security experts have no doubt been up nights wondering how to safeguard Kim Jong Un since Trump shocked the world by accepting the North's invitation to meet. — Fox News, "Isolated Kim takes big gamble leaving home for Trump summit," 10 June 2018 Hundreds of North Korean security experts have no doubt been up nights wondering how to safeguard Kim Jong Un since Trump shocked the world by accepting the North’s invitation to meet. — Washington Post, "Isolated Kim takes big gamble leaving home for Trump summit," 10 June 2018 The pope is responsible for safeguarding Catholic doctrine and cannot directly contradict it but can interpret or expand it. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The conservative case against Pope Francis — and why it matters," 5 Apr. 2018 But collecting and safeguarding medical information is far more complex than tracking when an online shopper buys a new lamp. — Sharon Terlep, WSJ, "Amazon’s PillPack Deal Gives It Access to Sensitive Health Data," 1 July 2018 The statement also noted that since stronger measures have since been implemented to prevent abuse, including a hotline and safeguarding team. — Jessie Yeung, CNN, "Haiti bans Oxfam GB over sexual misconduct scandal," 14 June 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.