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
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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
Airborne and amphibious warfare are key capabilities for defending Japanese islands beyond the four main islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu—as they are designed to project forces from the sea and air to retake islands occupied by an enemy.
—
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Barry has spent 26 years handling Hatch Act cases, defending both Republicans and Democrats.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Gina isn't shy about defending her daughter online, either.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Angrest was serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when he was kidnapped while defending the Nahal Oz outpost.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
No Texan should be financially devastated simply for defending their life.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Oct. 2025
But that’s irrelevant now — because these Phillies drew the defending champs.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The idea the two-time defending champs are tantamount to underdogs to make history is itself a compelling story -- good for the league.
—Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Lou Marin is executive vice-president of the Florida Republican Assembly, a conservative organization defending America First values.
—Lou Marin, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Barry has spent 26 years handling Hatch Act cases, defending both Republicans and Democrats.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Gina isn't shy about defending her daughter online, either.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Angrest was serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when he was kidnapped while defending the Nahal Oz outpost.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
No Texan should be financially devastated simply for defending their life.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Oct. 2025
But that’s irrelevant now — because these Phillies drew the defending champs.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The idea the two-time defending champs are tantamount to underdogs to make history is itself a compelling story -- good for the league.
—Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Lou Marin is executive vice-president of the Florida Republican Assembly, a conservative organization defending America First values.
—Lou Marin, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defending
Verb
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This is not a choice between protecting the ocean and growing the economy.—
Olivier Wenden,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
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In June, the Department of Justice sued California for not repealing a decade-old anti-discrimination law protecting transgender students and subpoenaed medical providers for lists of youth patients receiving gender affirming care.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Another important factor is whether a court is convinced that an employee’s speech about Kirk was serious enough to disrupt a college’s operations, thus justifying the employee’s firing.—
Jeffrey C. Sun,
The Conversation,
14 Oct. 2025
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The survey also found that 30% of finance leaders in the early stages of AI adoption struggle with justifying ROI, compared with 21% of those further along the AI journey, or AI leaders.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dozens of experts met at a two-day conference on engineering and safeguarding synthetic life in Manchester, UK, in September to discuss where red lines should be drawn to restrict research into technologies that could enable the creation of mirror organisms.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
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There is safeguarding and aftercare.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has since stayed parts of that ruling, allowing the administration to continue the process of federalizing the Oregon National Guard but maintaining a ban on deploying those troops into Portland.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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While maintaining the designer’s signature lines and silhouettes, Lauren Ralph Lauren offers a more accessible price point with contemporary pieces in women’s and men’s apparel, shoes and accessories.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So there’s a risk in assuming that there’s somebody guarding the gates and that the technology will only go so far.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
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Signs of sass becoming a problem include growling or snapping, guarding objects, ignoring basic commands persistently, or biting and destroying items.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Supreme Court weighs constitutionality of conversation therapy ban Months after upholding a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, the Supreme Court is once again hearing arguments about LGBTQ+ rights that could have major ramifications on young people.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
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In addition to supporting aid and assistance into Gaza, the troops are expected to support the deconfliction mechanism between the two sides to make sure both are upholding their part of the security agreements.—
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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The culinary program, for example, spotlights seasonal ingredients, supporting Arizona farmers and purveyors.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defending. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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