as in protected
Related Words
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defended
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
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
United defended in an aggressive middle block similar to Crystal Palace in September.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Earlier this month, the songwriter defended their age gap in the comments of an Instagram post shared by Cruz’s mom, Victoria.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
In a statement, Suarez defended Miami’s budget by pointing out that the city cut tax rates in recent years and that Florida’s budget has been growing in recent years, too.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Petro has repeatedly defended his policy, which moves away from a repressive approach and prioritizes reaching agreements with growers of coca leaf - the raw material for cocaine - to encourage them to switch to other crops, pursuing major drug lords and combating money laundering.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Typically, state laws are defended by the attorney general.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Halligan, for her part, has defended the charges.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
But Gehman defended her team’s work.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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
Just hours before the filing was submitted, Bovino defended his agency’s conduct in an interview with CBS News.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
United defended in an aggressive middle block similar to Crystal Palace in September.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Earlier this month, the songwriter defended their age gap in the comments of an Instagram post shared by Cruz’s mom, Victoria.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
In a statement, Suarez defended Miami’s budget by pointing out that the city cut tax rates in recent years and that Florida’s budget has been growing in recent years, too.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Petro has repeatedly defended his policy, which moves away from a repressive approach and prioritizes reaching agreements with growers of coca leaf - the raw material for cocaine - to encourage them to switch to other crops, pursuing major drug lords and combating money laundering.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Typically, state laws are defended by the attorney general.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Halligan, for her part, has defended the charges.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
But Gehman defended her team’s work.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defended
Adjective
-
Oregon lawmakers added gender identity as a protected class under state anti-discrimination law in 2021.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Deutsch explained that architects have found lowering a ceiling makes a person feel more protected and comfortable.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Attempting to block out everything off the court and focusing on basketball seems to be a strategy filtering down from Splitter who remained guarded in his press conference after the game when asked about Billups.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Quan additionally recalled how the Inferno ship was kept secret from the cast and that the door to the set was guarded by security so the actors couldn’t sneak in.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Morgan felt uneasy but also justified.—
Kaleb Demerew,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
-
My grief and my truth is justified.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Benson Kipruto, 34, and Hellen Obiri, 35, both from Kenya, secured victory in the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday.—
NPR,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Biden also advocated for research into a cure for cancer and secured millions of dollars in federal funding for research into women’s health.—
Darlene Superville,
Denver Post,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Trott and Lufkin safeguarded the middle with six and three blocks, respectively, while Payton Patrick rejected four shots.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The caves and their stories are safeguarded by the descendants of Dill, who continue to own and operate Meramec Caverns.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Virginia, moderate Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer and congresswoman, has maintained a modest lead over Republican nominee, Winsome Earle-Sears, the state's current lieutenant governor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Growing up in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, Yesavage built and maintained a pitcher’s mound in his backyard the way other kids might tinker with cars.—
Steve Rushin,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Reports about an assault surfaced on social media Wednesday, but exact details on the incident remain shielded as police investigate.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Oct. 2025
-
It is expected to deliver clearer imaging of dense, shielded materials like spent nuclear fuel, while also significantly enhancing nuclear safety.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
These rulings have been upheld on appeal but remain under Supreme Court review, with oral arguments scheduled for November and a potential decision before the year’s end.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
For the most part, courts have upheld that states have the authority to ban campaign speech in the polling place but often strike down the statute involved as being too vague.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defended. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share