Thesaurus results for DEFENDER

defender

noun

di-ˈfen-dər

Definition of defender

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

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 defender In the 70th minute at Saputo Stadium, Berterame was involved in an aerial collision with Montreal defender Efrain Morales and landed awkwardly on the pitch, appearing to lose consciousness. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 26 July 2026 The second-year wideout beat a trio of defenders on a seam route to haul in a touchdown pass from backup QB Kenny Pickett. — Mike Kaye july 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026 Key defender Micah Parsons' ACL injury sidelines him until Week 7, severely impacting an already struggling pass rush. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 The French forward controlled Mathieu Choinière’s long pass, shrugged off a defender and finished. — Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for defender

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defender

Noun

The collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907, which killed 75 ironworkers due to a calculation error and engineering inexperience, helped establish the professional engineer as a guardian of public safety.

— Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Parents, guardians, grandparents and others can also contribute up to $5,000 per child per year.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 27 July 2026

Definition of guardian

Noun

This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 30 July 2026
While custodians often calculate RMDs, taxpayers should verify these amounts, as errors can still lead to IRS penalties.

— Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of custodian

Noun

In June, a federal judge ruled against Katherine and Garry Leach, finding that federal courts could not weigh in on how churches spend their donations, citing First Amendment protections.

— Giles Hudson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
The better opportunity lies in parts of the market where scale alone provides less protection.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of protection

Noun

Finally, there’s the Tower Penthouse Apartment, which occupies the top three floors of the hotel’s iconic tower and sleeps up to eight—not to mention a cozy single room for a traveling private chef or bodyguard.

— Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026
His teammates - more akin to bodyguards this summer - do the dirty work, which leaves Messi to focus solely on unlocking the opposition’s defense with his unrivaled quality.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Definition of bodyguard

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defended

defender

defenders

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Style

“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defender. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of defender

noun

Example Sentences

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