DEFENDING Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

defending

verb

present participle of defend

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

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

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 defending The organization spent the offseason defending the decision not to sign any real competition or spend a draft pick on the position. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 How will Arkansas State approach defending TCU, which runs a more pro-style offense compared to Memphis? — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026 The Chiefs will face defending AFC West champion Denver at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026 The Cardinals have another tough game when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks visit on Sunday. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 But what makes Memphis especially dangerous is that the offense has shown an early ability to draw the opposition into defending the run game and constricting the box, then blowing the defense open with a pass over the top. — Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2026 Prior to Ruffalo’s post, Ellison himself published a New York Times op-ed defending his merger plans. — Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 Syc did both, and seemingly everything else in between, during Libertyville’s 21-6 win win over defending North Suburban Conference champion Warren last week. — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 Nearly three months after first telling the public about the sale, the YMCA is still defending that hot-button decision. — Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defending

Verb

Insurance remains an essential tool for protecting against losses that could threaten liquidity, earnings or operations.

— Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
In a second the players were there, every single player was there, stopping celebrations, building a shield, protecting Jordan, not going anywhere, in full empathy.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of protecting

Verb

Transparency without context can breed distrust, because disclosing a number is not the same as justifying it, and both expectations and the law have moved on.

— Aniela Unguresan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
That is why parents, and moms in particular, who historically have taken on most of the child care work and labor in the home—have trouble justifying rest.

— Parents, Parents, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of justifying

Verb

The world's largest oil buyer has slashed its imports after the war broke out, tapping into its stockpiles, keeping a lid on global oil prices and safeguarding its economy.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
In 1995, after Selena’s tragic death at the hands of Yolanda Saldivar, the former president of her fan club, Abraham dedicated his life to safeguarding her legacy and overseeing primary control over her estate.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of safeguarding

Verb

Its compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
In addition to exercise, Eden said, maintaining a balanced diet is another part of her wellness regimen.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of maintaining

Verb

Clingan has all the makings of a rim monster who could improve his technique guarding on the perimeter enough to make his drop coverage work in the postseason.

— Victor Wembanyama, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Chinese exhibits in Geneva conjured up AI as giant robots guarding futuristic Chinese cityscapes.

— Elias Stahl, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of guarding

Verb

And neither were the co-hosts, who felt their fun, feel-good, not-that-serious event was suddenly being accused of upholding white supremacy.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Organizers describe the demonstrations as nonviolent and focused on upholding democratic principles.

— Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of upholding

Verb

Star Matthew Rhys won best actor, Stephen Root won best supporting actor and Kate O'Flynn won best supporting actress.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
There is a concern that formally accepting their preferred description of ‘public figures’ could potentially be seized upon by Harry as supporting his argument over security.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of supporting

Browse Nearby Words

defenders

defending

defends

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Defending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defending. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of defending

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

watershed

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes