1
as in protecting
to drive danger or attack away from
a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifying
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
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Recent Examples of defending
The Dream will open the 2026 season at home on May 17 against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
—
Christopher Harris, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Jack Nicklaus missed the cut in 1967 as the two-time defending champion.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
DeSantis has continued defending the effort without that Supreme Court ruling, however, saying that the state needs to redraw maps because of its population growth over the past five years.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Competing with the defending champions, who will be rested while the Warriors have slogged through two high-stakes games, will be a tough challenge.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Every Tuesday of tournament week, the defending champion chooses the menu for his fellow champions, and the lore of the occasion continues to grow.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
The biggest name in the portal going to the defending national champions?
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Diving for 50-50 balls, making hustle plays, or even defending with physicality and force can jar things loose once again.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
The head of Festival Republic, the unit of Live Nation putting on the festival, issued a statement defending the decision to book Ye.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Christopher Harris, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Jack Nicklaus missed the cut in 1967 as the two-time defending champion.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
DeSantis has continued defending the effort without that Supreme Court ruling, however, saying that the state needs to redraw maps because of its population growth over the past five years.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Competing with the defending champions, who will be rested while the Warriors have slogged through two high-stakes games, will be a tough challenge.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Every Tuesday of tournament week, the defending champion chooses the menu for his fellow champions, and the lore of the occasion continues to grow.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
The biggest name in the portal going to the defending national champions?
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Diving for 50-50 balls, making hustle plays, or even defending with physicality and force can jar things loose once again.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
The head of Festival Republic, the unit of Live Nation putting on the festival, issued a statement defending the decision to book Ye.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defending
Verb
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Effective vole control includes keeping grass mowed, minimizing mulch, using traps, and protecting young trees with hardware cloth tubes.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
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Watermelon has a host of health benefits including protecting one's joints from inflammation, improving digestive conditions and being more rich in lycopene than any other fruit.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Consistently, independent polls showed the opposition with a sizable lead, but Western diplomats in Budapest cautioned me not to underestimate Orbán’s ability to mobilize voters at the last moment, or to manufacture circumstances justifying a state of emergency.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
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In the meantime, Varsity faces a Thursday deadline to submit arguments justifying why, at its insistence, a bulk of the docket to date has been filed under seal.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As treasurer-tax collector, Freidenrich, who was elected in 2010, is the county’s banker, responsible for billing, collecting and safeguarding taxpayer dollars.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
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The prohibition has to do with safeguarding the local bird population.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Public Service Commission has approved a flurry of rate hikes in recent years as private utilities grapple with maintaining profits while improving infrastructure in a mountainous, sparsely populated state.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Fredericson says that exercise also supports weight management by affecting appetite, increasing calorie burn and helping preserve lean muscle mass, which is essential for maintaining a healthy metabolism.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Green, guarding Leonard, then tipped away the Clippers’ inbounds pass out of a timeout, and Podziemski drove for a three-point play as the visitors hung on.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
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One of my strong suits is guarding the ball and guarding multiple positions.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some said the commercial, with a conventionally attractive, white, thin, blonde woman with blue eyes at its center, was upholding Sweeney as the beauty standard.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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Hamas and multiple international organizations operating in Gaza have said Israel is not upholding its side of the deal, something Israel has denied while accusing Hamas of its own violations.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of the proceeds raised from the event went to supporting Altman's family.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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By his third hosting gig in 2014, he was joined onstage during his monologue by Leonardo DiCaprio, his co-star in the searing satire The Wolf of Wall Street, a Martin Scorsese picture that netted Hill his second Oscar nomination for best supporting actor after Moneyball just three years earlier.—
Josh Spiegel,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defending. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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