as in protected
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Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of defended
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
30 June 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
The extended range allows aircraft to strike without entering heavily defended zones, reducing risk to pilots and platforms.
—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 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
Ringo recorded a defended pass and recovered the fumble Campbell forced.
—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
In the first three games of the year, DeJean recorded 22 tackles and a defended pass.
—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
In 11 games for Wisconsin, Lucas recorded 18 tackles, one interception and three defended passes.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Clara Preve,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
Legal counsel for the Department of Homeland Security defended the administration's actions, citing the long-standing effort to terminate the program.
—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Trick Williams successfully defended his US Title, while Tiffany Stratton claimed the Women's US Title, marking a night of significant outcomes.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Amid the scandal, one of Alannah's friends defended her on TikTok Monday.
—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 June 2026
The district’s financial officials, however, defended their analysis.
—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
26 June 2026
And every time someone brings up the Robin Hood legend — that the archer stole from the rich to give to the poor, and defended the weak against the powerful — Jackman gets a look on his face like someone farted.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
The Netherlands dominated possession while Japan sat back and defended.
—
Bryan Preston,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
González defended the oversight system and said the allegations against Domenech are false.
—
Vera Lucia Pappaterra,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Adjective
Every additional defended point becomes a resource allocation problem for Moscow.
—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
30 June 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
The extended range allows aircraft to strike without entering heavily defended zones, reducing risk to pilots and platforms.
—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 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
Ringo recorded a defended pass and recovered the fumble Campbell forced.
—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
In the first three games of the year, DeJean recorded 22 tackles and a defended pass.
—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
In 11 games for Wisconsin, Lucas recorded 18 tackles, one interception and three defended passes.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
So far, Milei has defended his Cabinet chief, even as the scandal damaged his government’s public image, constrained his political leverage in negotiations with allies and undermined his communication about spending cuts to Argentines scraping by on salaries that increasingly fall behind inflation.
—
Clara Preve,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
Legal counsel for the Department of Homeland Security defended the administration's actions, citing the long-standing effort to terminate the program.
—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Trick Williams successfully defended his US Title, while Tiffany Stratton claimed the Women's US Title, marking a night of significant outcomes.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Amid the scandal, one of Alannah's friends defended her on TikTok Monday.
—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 June 2026
The district’s financial officials, however, defended their analysis.
—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
26 June 2026
And every time someone brings up the Robin Hood legend — that the archer stole from the rich to give to the poor, and defended the weak against the powerful — Jackman gets a look on his face like someone farted.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
The Netherlands dominated possession while Japan sat back and defended.
—
Bryan Preston,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
González defended the oversight system and said the allegations against Domenech are false.
—
Vera Lucia Pappaterra,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defended
Adjective
-
For example, Paris has an aesthetic aversion to window units and rooftop HVAC systems, which helps explain why installing air-conditioning typically requires special permission from authorities, especially in protected or historic areas.
-
Most of them encrypted files in non-protected folders, anywhere from a handful to 24,000.
Verb
-
Ever since they've been excited about the day, but understandably guarded.
-
For most of my career, the loyalty industry treated data as an asset to be guarded and exported to specialists.
Verb
-
Still, Calabrese says any kind of travel expenses should go through layers of approval and be properly justified.
-
Will the high costs of running and using Fable be justified now that alternatives have emerged?
Adjective
-
Wissa added to his tally for Congo, who completed a 3-1 comeback against Uzbekistan and secured passage to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-place teams.
-
Certain secured debts, such as mortgages or auto loans, remain attached to the underlying collateral.
Verb
-
Regarding Jersey Mike's, the complaint says the chain should have safeguarded the sandwich in a sanitary and tamper-resistant manner.
-
The report concluded that civilian infrastructure, civilian areas, and cultural heritage sites must be safeguarded.
Verb
-
Attorneys involved in the case have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the vast majority of claims are valid.
-
Most access points are reached from the west side, coming through Meeker, and Grimes noted that despite the isolation, the gravel roads are well-maintained, meaning a passenger vehicle should get you to most trailheads.
Adjective
-
The titular hero was born on the doomed alien world of Krypton, and grew up in a shielded city that managed to survive the planet’s initial destruction.
-
The pipe welding certificate program will focus on gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc welding and shielded metal arc welding, according to the ECC website.
Verb
-
In February 2025, a state appeals court upheld the jury’s verdict, ruling that Missouri’s laws requiring companies to warn of dangers are not preempted by federal law.
-
This week, the court ruled by a 5-4 vote against the Republican National Committee and upheld state laws that allow for counting late-arriving mail ballots.
Cite this Entry
“Defended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defended. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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