as in guardian
someone that protects
one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defender
On the first play of the drive, Mendoza was sacked by defender Zane Durant for a loss of seven yards.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Tranquill had been enjoying a bounce-back season, active in the pass rush in the opener and as a run defender since.
—Sam McDowell 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
But Deza, a lawyer who is considerably savvier than the public defenders that her case was previously foisted upon, takes an interest in the injustice and agrees to represent her pro-bono.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
The loss came on the heels of losing defender Adilson Malanda to Middlesbrough.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defender
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Tranquill had been enjoying a bounce-back season, active in the pass rush in the opener and as a run defender since.
—Sam McDowell 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
But Deza, a lawyer who is considerably savvier than the public defenders that her case was previously foisted upon, takes an interest in the injustice and agrees to represent her pro-bono.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
The loss came on the heels of losing defender Adilson Malanda to Middlesbrough.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defender
Noun
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Before her death, Goodall wrote an open letter — shared with PEOPLE by Animals Asia — about her decision to become Robinson's guardian.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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Donors should be in good health with no cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms, and must be at least 17 years old, or 16 with a parent or guardian’s consent.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Overpayments and underpayments occur when changes to employees’ salaries or benefits occur after the payroll cutoff date, said Bismarck Obando, a spokesperson for the controller’s office, which is the custodian of the state’s payroll records.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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Taking Back the Control For a long time, the simplest way for a business to hold digital assets was to trust a third-party custodian.—
K.H. Koehler,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Buzelis, however, is bouncy enough to fling shots near the rim as a lingering secondary rim protector.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
11 Jan. 2026
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This is not America, and we are not supposed to be taking countries by force; we are supposed to be the protectors of freedom.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Rasouli doesn’t recommend relying on cheese for protection against dementia.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
9 Jan. 2026
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On the whole, higher limits offer better protection, so recognizing the differences in coverage between minimum requirements and real-life needs can inform better decision-making in this regard.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Steve Wilkos, the former bodyguard on The Jerry Springer Show who’s now a talk show host himself, will also appear.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Alu was a bodyguard for his wife, Kim Rothstein.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defender. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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