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
Relevance
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
According to data from the Casa del Encuentro, a civil organization that defends women’s rights, 164 women were killed in Argentina in the first eight months of 2025.
—
Manuela Castro, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
James Burling is vice president of legal affairs at Pacific Legal Foundation, a nonprofit legal organization that defends Americans’ individual liberty and constitutional rights.
—James Burling, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo struggles for yardage as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton defends.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Goose Crowder #9 of the Troy Trojans throws the ball during the first quarter as Jordan Lovett #1 of the Troy Trojans defends against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Clemson, South Carolina.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
McDaniels defends Maye Following his recent press conferences, something is amiss with Drake Maye.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Jeffrey Breinholt, an architect of the material support statutes who spent three decades as a federal terrorism prosecutor, defends the laws as crucial to closing loopholes that were exploited by foreign militant groups and their domestic sympathizers.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan organization that defends First Amendment rights across the political spectrum, and survey company College Pulse rank the campus speech environment of 257 public and private universities each year.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025
Continue reading … BIG APPLE BATTLE – NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani defends past tweets.
—FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Manuela Castro, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
James Burling is vice president of legal affairs at Pacific Legal Foundation, a nonprofit legal organization that defends Americans’ individual liberty and constitutional rights.
—James Burling, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo struggles for yardage as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton defends.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Goose Crowder #9 of the Troy Trojans throws the ball during the first quarter as Jordan Lovett #1 of the Troy Trojans defends against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Clemson, South Carolina.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
McDaniels defends Maye Following his recent press conferences, something is amiss with Drake Maye.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Jeffrey Breinholt, an architect of the material support statutes who spent three decades as a federal terrorism prosecutor, defends the laws as crucial to closing loopholes that were exploited by foreign militant groups and their domestic sympathizers.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan organization that defends First Amendment rights across the political spectrum, and survey company College Pulse rank the campus speech environment of 257 public and private universities each year.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025
Continue reading … BIG APPLE BATTLE – NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani defends past tweets.
—FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defends
Verb
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Toby, a towering tan tapeworm sculpture, greets employees at the front door to promote Elanco's Credelio Quattro medicine, which protects dogs against fleas, ticks and tapeworms.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
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The munition can also be diverted mid-flight if battlefield conditions change — a feature that commanders say minimizes collateral damage and protects soldiers.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This year's installer icon is one of the ones that finally justifies years' worth of effort spent tracking and talking about the changes in macOS installer icons.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
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Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The White House maintains that anyone living in the country illegally is considered to be a criminal by the federal government.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The Athletic maintains full editorial independence.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Without discussion, the council unanimously decided against a de novo hearing, which upholds the Planning Department’s decision to mark the application incomplete.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
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The real challenge is building a system that reflects our values, upholds the rule of law and meets the country’s long-term needs.—
Kristie De Pena,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Screambox supports three simultaneous streams, which is about average.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Letizia says his dispensary in Menomonee Falls supports regulating hemp, including requiring testing products and setting a statewide age restriction.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defends. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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