FEND (OFF) Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

fend (off)

verb

Definition of fend (off)

as in to repel

to drive back the herd fended off attacking hyenas

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fend (off)

Verb

Leading brands, such as Cliganic, NATPAT and BugMD, use essential oils, like citronella and peppermint oil among others, as the active ingredients to repel pesty bloodsuckers.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Ion-generating toothbrushes release charged particles to induce a polarity that helps repel plaque, for example.

— Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of repel

Verb

Retail is a recent addition for a designer who long resisted it.

— Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026
In July 2025, Bennett and another man were charged with resisting arrest after a confrontation with LAPD officers at a candlelight vigil a few blocks from where Foreman was killed this year.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of resist

Verb

Activists say their new constitutional amendment will help ensure that Virginia stays a safe haven for access, even if the state turns back to Republican control in future years.

— Rachel Cohen Booth, Vox, 4 Nov. 2026
However, investors on Tuesday are turning back to semiconductors and power, electrical equipment, and liquid cooling providers like Eaton , which posted strong quarterly results and raised its full-year outlook.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of turn back

Verb

Republicans, however, could take advantage of Newsom’s action and cast him as a soft-on-crime liberal who is out of touch with most Americans, which risks turning away moderate voters.

— Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
He was cleared to land on a runway there, but the plane turned away from the runway while just north of the airport and continued to drop in the air while flying south past the airport, the NTSB report said.

— Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of turn away

Verb

The good news is that the study also found that movement — in the right amounts and at the right times — staves off muscle laziness and might make sitting a little less unhealthy.

— Gretchen Reynolds, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
The campaign stops in Corpus Christi and Lubbock came as Republicans fight to stave off their first statewide loss in Texas in more than 30 years.

— Caroline Linton, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of stave off

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fending (off)

fend (off)

fends

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“Fend (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fend%20%28off%29. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of fend (off)

verb

Example Sentences

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