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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defends
If Wembanyama defends Hart, this will be a major series for Towns, who will have either Castle, Vassell or Julian Champagnie guarding him.
—
Fred Katz, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The player who defends the goal and can use their hands inside the penalty area, also commonly called the keeper.
—Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
The top two titles in all of WWE will be on the line as Raw’s Roman Reigns defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu for the second time this month.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Rhea Ripley defends her title against Jade Cargill after a monthslong feud that began when Ripley won the Women’s Elimination Chamber match.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
Leppla understands people’s frustration with the creatures but defends them, to a point.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross defends why the expense did not need to go to a ballot.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 May 2026
Baltimore Police Commissioner defends officers' actions after suicidal man is shot dead during crisis.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 May 2026
The city attorney reviews and approves contracts and ordinances for legal compliance, defends the city against lawsuits, and brings civil lawsuits on behalf of the city.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 20 May 2026
Fred Katz, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The player who defends the goal and can use their hands inside the penalty area, also commonly called the keeper.
—Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
The top two titles in all of WWE will be on the line as Raw’s Roman Reigns defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu for the second time this month.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Rhea Ripley defends her title against Jade Cargill after a monthslong feud that began when Ripley won the Women’s Elimination Chamber match.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
Leppla understands people’s frustration with the creatures but defends them, to a point.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross defends why the expense did not need to go to a ballot.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 May 2026
Baltimore Police Commissioner defends officers' actions after suicidal man is shot dead during crisis.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 May 2026
The city attorney reviews and approves contracts and ordinances for legal compliance, defends the city against lawsuits, and brings civil lawsuits on behalf of the city.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defends
Verb
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Structure protects relationships by establishing expectations before they are needed.—
Sharon Olson,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Reaching out to a reputable debt relief professional while the account is still in collections, rather than in court, gives you more time to find a resolution that protects your income.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The machine’s upgradeable functionality justifies its footprint, which is much larger than your typical desktop printer.—
Andrew Liszewski,
The Verge,
27 May 2026
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The tech enables the premium experience, which justifies the premium price.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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These advanced technologies ensure the router maintains a high data throughput and more stable performance, even when in a congested network.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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The Athletic maintains full editorial independence.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Thrash, whose latest project is a benefit gala at the Palace of Versailles planned for June 8, upholds a long tradition of American philanthropy in support of French cultural institutions.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
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Islam, like Christianity, upholds the dignity of every human being and encourages dialogue and reconciliation over conflict.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The hotel supports local organizations including the Mallorca Preservation Foundation and the Madina Mayurqa Foundation, focused on the preservation of biodiversity and the cultural heritage of the Balearic islands.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The company said the platform also supports runtime features such as KV cache reuse, which helps retain information from previous interactions and reduces the need to repeatedly process the same data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defends. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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