as in protected
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in guarded
to drive danger or attack away from
a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defended
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
One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
In 11 games for Wisconsin, Lucas recorded 18 tackles, one interception and three defended passes.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
Dan Albano, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
The people who fought for this country, defended our freedoms, and sacrificed for our communities are being told there is suddenly not enough money for programs that support them.
—Anne Brensley, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Pastor Mark Burns, who hosted the dedication ceremony, defended the statue in response to critics.
—Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2026
Oakland Interim Police Chief James Beere defended the department's proactive enforcement efforts despite the recent violence against officers.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
Rasmussen, however, defended the request at the meeting, urging the city’s support in order to keep the ball rolling on the development of the site.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Kroenke defended Adelman when pressed during a news conference about Denver’s decision to retain him for a second season.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Other human rights lawyers have been recently prosecuted in Russia, including Maria Bontsler, a prominent lawyer who defended individuals persecuted by politically motivated charges.
—Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
Adjective
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
One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 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
Maksymowski and Fountain Valley’s Alyssa Ton defended their titles in the 200 and 500 freestyles.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
The people who fought for this country, defended our freedoms, and sacrificed for our communities are being told there is suddenly not enough money for programs that support them.
—Anne Brensley, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Pastor Mark Burns, who hosted the dedication ceremony, defended the statue in response to critics.
—Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2026
Oakland Interim Police Chief James Beere defended the department's proactive enforcement efforts despite the recent violence against officers.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
Rasmussen, however, defended the request at the meeting, urging the city’s support in order to keep the ball rolling on the development of the site.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Kroenke defended Adelman when pressed during a news conference about Denver’s decision to retain him for a second season.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Other human rights lawyers have been recently prosecuted in Russia, including Maria Bontsler, a prominent lawyer who defended individuals persecuted by politically motivated charges.
—Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defended
Adjective
-
An informed voter is a protected democracy.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Officials said the outreach will also include information about changes affecting certain non-citizens, including refugees, asylees and others with protected status.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
But Urban, who is guarded about his personal life, extends that thinking to his work as well.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
There, in the scorching desert, guarded by fences and video surveillance, this fish swims around in a sunken fishbowl made of rock that's been its only natural home for millennia.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
His attorney cited Meade's oral and written accounts of what happened, and said the shooting was justified.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
Authorities said a fourth one was ruled to be justified by self-defense.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to the evaluation, 83% of participants receiving housing subsidies remained housed after one year, exceeding the program’s retention goal, while 56% of 460 participants studied obtained subsidies and secured housing.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
The site design also features restroom facilities, laundry machines, internet access and a secured perimeter with around-the-clock onsite security.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Asylum seekers should be protected, families must remain together, and workers should be safeguarded from exploitation.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
Our elections must be safeguarded from foreign interference.—
Kevin Fixler
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
What matters is the quality standard being maintained and the commitment to the customer.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
Dancing with controversial men’s rights activists While Peters has maintained a general apathy toward political thought, that hasn’t kept him from cozying up to some of the most controversial figures in the manosphere.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The ship itself is packed with detail from turrets through to tiny shielded hangars.—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
Purchasing a shielded Ethernet cable means the wires are protected from electromagnetic interference, so the cables operate more efficiently.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Judges also upheld separate findings that Kim improperly received about 42 million won (about $28,000) in political support tied to vehicle leases and insurance payments during preparations for his election campaign.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
8 May 2026
-
In a 2024 case, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the FDA’s rule allowing mifepristone to be prescribed online and shipped nationwide, ruling that the group that sued over the rule, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, did not have proper standing to file the legal challenge.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defended. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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