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shield

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word shield different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of shield are defend, guard, protect, and safeguard. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

When might defend be a better fit than shield?

Although the words defend and shield have much in common, defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

When is it sensible to use guard instead of shield?

The words guard and shield can be used in similar contexts, but guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

When would protect be a good substitute for shield?

The words protect and shield are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When could safeguard be used to replace shield?

While the synonyms safeguard and shield are close in meaning, safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shield
Noun
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields platforms from liability for what users post, leaving victims and their families with limited legal footing against them. Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025 Cheaper, readily available launch services will also be critical to the Pentagon's aspirations to construct a missile shield to defend against attacks on the US homeland. Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
But Bruce was also shielding the big man from the rabid autograph seekers. Jeff Chang september 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025 Richie recalls growing up happy and shielded in Tuskegee, Ala. Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shield
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shield
Noun
  • Essential services like defense and law enforcement would continue throughout a shutdown, as would mandatory spending programs like Social Security and Medicare, BAI added.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Though Brock Purdy threw over 300 yards in his return from injury, the Jaguars' defense caused five turnovers, including a strip sack that sealed the game in the fourth quarter.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • They’re designed for indoor and outdoor wear thanks to a durable outsole and warm shearling lining that protects against chilly temperatures.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • They are designed to protect homes and businesses against the type of winter storms that have severely flooded the low-lying community of Alviso multiple times with water up to 6 feet deep and which are posing more risk as sea level rises due to climate change.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In addition to yards of open grassy areas for Pickles and Franklin to roam freely, there is a pool, sauna, pickleball court, outdoor kitchen, and lots of shaded or umbrella-covered seating.
    Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
  • With support from the ADG Community Journalism Project, LEARNS reporter Josh Snyder covers the impact of the law on the K-12 education system across the state, and its effect on teachers, students, parents and communities.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Still, the decisiveness with which Nix delivered the ball, trusting both the protection in front of him and what his eyes were seeing with the defense, was encouraging.
    Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • By providing a compact, sustainable, and highly effective solution, the researchers are contributing to environmental protection and securing clean water resources for the future.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The county is currently defending a long-running class-action case alleging systemic deficiencies in the jails’ health care.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
  • McKinney has an interception on the season and four passes defended.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The technology has rapidly developed since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, and companies are racing to build more powerful models, but some experts warn of potentially deadly risks and have called for safeguards.
    Claire Cameron, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • While some see new opportunities in alternative platforms and boutique distributors, others point to audiences themselves as the ultimate safeguard.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Although Taylor Swift famously bares her soul in her songwriting, she's historically been guarded about her personal life.
    Janey Tracey, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
  • There’s a bar that’s stocked with bourbon, tequila, and moonshine and a couple of porcelain cheetahs guarding a cabinet full of old records.
    Sid Evans, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After leaving the bar, Routt tried to get rid of the gun and ammunition at a gas station, which detectives later found in a nearby dumpster, the complaint said.
    Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 27 Sep. 2025
  • For indoor storage, guns should be kept unloaded and locked in appropriate safes or lockboxes for handguns, with ammunition in a separate safe, the AAP recommends.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shield. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on shield

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