defender

noun

di-ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
Definition of defendernext
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 Among players, Marcos Senesi, Hamed Traorè, and Enes Ünal are some of the notable departures, while promising new signings include defenders António Silva, Álvaro Rodríguez, Álex Jiménez, and Juanlu Sánchez. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 23 Aug. 2026 Palace have signed defenders Anan Khalaili, Oscar Mingueza and Takehiro Tomiyasu and wingers Dwight McNeil and Zavier Gozo this summer. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Maren Heile-Selassie used assists from defender Viktor Radojević and Jonathan Bamba in the 38th minute to score his fourth goal and give Chicago a 1-0 lead that stood through halftime. — CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 Toronto defender Walker Zimmerman was suspended for the Miami game after receiving a straight red card early in the second half against Charlotte. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defender
  1. guardian
  2. custodian
  3. protector
  4. protection
  5. bodyguard
Noun
  • As families prepare for the first day of classes, parents and guardians are gathering school supplies, arranging carpools and figuring out how their children will get to and from school.
    — Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The law requires that minors under 16 link their social media accounts to a legal guardian to ensure supervision.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of guardian
Noun
  • More from this past week • A transgender woman who works as a custodian at the University of Kansas was reported for using the wrong restroom under a new state law.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Zuckerberg is referencing OpenAI and Anthropic, which operate on the premise that hyper-smart AI is both inevitable and apocalyptic—and therefore safe only in the hands of the wisest custodians (themselves).
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • Cohen would later act as Sun’s protector and confidant through the years of the Chinese Revolution.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • No two tales of what happened to Maelor after his knight protector was shot dead agree, but the young boy was also slain on the bridge, perhaps torn apart by the mob who assailed him, arguing over what to do with the young prince.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of protector
Noun
  • Nobody in their right mind would argue that Alphabet and Nvidia need laws to protect them from competition, but lots of otherwise intelligent people believe that banks, an even more profitable group of companies, do need such protection.
    — Omid Malekan, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Friendship was also the protection built into Difficult People.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of protection
Noun
  • The film will star Leighton Meester as a no-nonsense bodyguard assigned to protect an action star (Jared Padalecki) over the holidays.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Acton went after Ramaswamy after a previous family bodyguard pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges on Thursday.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of bodyguard

Browse Nearby Words

defended
defender
defenders
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Cite this Entry

“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defender. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defender

Nglish: Translation of defender for Spanish Speakers

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