Synonyms of defends

defends

verb

present tense third-person singular of defend

1

as in protects

to drive danger or attack away from

a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protects
• shields
• safeguards
• guards
• fends
• secures
• keeps
• prevents
• fences
• saves
• opposes
• covers
• wards
• resists
• forfends
• preserves
• bulwarks
• stands up for
• averts
• conserves
• withstands
• screens
• contends
• wars
• fights
• walls
• battles
• buffers
• pickets
• palisades

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attacks
• assails
• assaults
• bombards
• submits
• overruns
• besets
• storms
• yields
• besieges
• capitulates
• caves

2

as in justifies

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

• justifies
• maintains
• upholds
• supports
• asserts
• affirms
• advocates
• proclaims
• discusses
• confirms
• argues
• insists
• pleads
• sticks up for
• contends
• espouses
• stands up for
• emphasizes
• claims
• champions
• professes
• vindicates
• states
• avers
• protests
• underlines
• debates
• avows
• underscores
• warrants
• stresses
• avouches

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abandons
• withdraws
• retracts
• forsakes
• reverses
• takes back
• switches
• refutes
• abjures
• recants
• rebuts
• disproves
• controverts

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defends

Sánchez defends court ruling EU leaders quickly pounced on Sánchez once videos from Ceuta went viral. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Joseph left the agency last spring and now works as senior policy counsel at the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, an advocacy and legal group that defends refugee rights. — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 30 July 2026

If James scores opportunistically, defends at a high level and can be the playmaker this roster needs, his impact on this roster has a chance to be enormous. — Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Zoe Saldaña defends Taylor Sheridan's writing of female characters. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Having taken home the top spot on the 50 Top Pizza list for three years, Una Pizza Napoletana defends its aptonym well. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026

Elsewhere, Thekla defends the AEW Women's World Championship against Willow Nightingale, who earned the opportunity by winning a Casino Gauntlet match. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

There’s always a ready audience, especially when the pesky Jewish state of Israel loudly refuses to join the chorus of condemnation and defends itself with force. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026

Kalshi’s new product tests the limits of the CFTC’s permissiveness while the agency actively defends its ability to oversee prediction markets in court. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 9 July 2026