Synonyms of defended

defended 1 of 2

adjective

as in protected

Related Words

• protected
• guarded
• secured
• shielded
• safeguarded
• secure
• defensible
• tenable
• unassailable
• defendable
• invincible
• inviolable
• invulnerable
• impregnable
• bulletproof
• unbeatable
• indomitable
• untouchable
• unconquerable

Dissimilar Words

• indefensible
• untenable
• vulnerable
• liable
• open
• susceptible
• exposed
• unprotected
• undefended
• unguarded
• insecure
• unsecured
• weak
• helpless
• powerless
• defenseless
• vincible
• imperiled
• assailable

defended

2 of 2

verb

past tense of defend

1

as in guarded

to drive danger or attack away from

a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protected
• guarded
• safeguarded
• shielded
• fended
• secured
• kept
• warded
• fenced
• screened
• prevented
• saved
• bulwarked
• covered
• opposed
• stood up for
• forfended
• preserved
• resisted
• withstood
• contended
• fought
• conserved
• averted
• warred
• battled
• picketed
• buffered
• walled
• palisaded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attacked
• assailed
• assaulted
• stormed
• bombarded
• submitted
• besieged
• beset
• yielded
• overran
• caved
• capitulated

2

as in justified

to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections

she will pigheadedly defend any claim regardless of all evidence to the contrary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• justified
• maintained
• upheld
• supported
• advocated
• asserted
• affirmed
• proclaimed
• championed
• discussed
• confirmed
• argued
• insisted
• stuck up for
• stated
• protested
• contended
• stood up for
• vindicated
• espoused
• pleaded
• claimed
• emphasized
• debated
• averred
• professed
• warranted
• underscored
• underlined
• stressed
• avowed
• avouched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• withdrew
• abandoned
• retracted
• reversed
• forsook
• switched
• recanted
• refuted
• took back
• rebutted
• abjured
• disproved
• controverted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defended

Adjective

The idea is to give aircraft another long-range weapon for attacking high-value or time-sensitive targets while keeping those aircraft farther from heavily defended areas. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026

The city is part of Ukraine’s Fortress Belt, a series of heavily defended cities that Russia must overcome to advance farther into the region. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

The line of four large and heavily defended cities, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) long, has been key to denying Moscow its goal of seizing Ukraine's industrial heartland. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Speaking at Fortune’s Workforce Innovation Summit on Tuesday, the 31-year-old defended sweeping workforce cuts at Bolt—including a recent layoff affecting roughly 30% of employees—as well as his decision to eliminate the company’s HR team. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 19 May 2026

Some defended efforts by staff to correct the books, while others demanded answers on how the accounting error had gone unnoticed through three full audit cycles. — Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 1 May 2026

Private firefighting outfits defended companies, utilities, and ultrarich enclaves while other parts of the city burned. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025

Verb

What Cornell's investigation found Cornell has defended its handling of the allegations, pointing to an extensive investigation that included more than 50 interviews and 12 days of disciplinary hearings. — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

El Sayed argued that the technology needed federal oversight, while Rogers advocated local oversight but defended the use of some surveillance processes in identifying people suspected of terrorism. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026

But the week of action also drew a counter-response from figures who disputed the allegations and defended the seven men named in the lawsuit. — Jeannine Chiang, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Tamir interceptors for Iron Dome The Camden facility was built to produce Tamir interceptors for Iron Dome, which has defended Israel against a wide range of threats, including in recent regional conflicts. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

Devan Meserve, a spokesperson for the Global Seafood Alliance, which runs the Best Aquaculture Practices program, defended the value of such inspection programs. — Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

She's defended the rights of Nelson Mandela, led a panel that found that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, and served as a judge in international courts, including over the genocide in Rwanda. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

His laserlike focus on the particulars of the story doesn’t leave much room for extrapolation; even the infuriating case of bureaucratic overreach that the film depicts can easily be understood, and perhaps even defended, as an aberration. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Coryell also denied Qualls’ claim and defended Rankin in a statement. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026