fend (off)

verb

Definition of fend (off)next
as in to repel
to drive back the herd fended off attacking hyenas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fend (off)
  1. repel
  2. resist
  3. turn back
  4. repulse
  5. turn away
  6. stave off
Verb
  • The first North Korean deployment began in the Kursk region in October 2024, to repel a Ukrainian incursion, the first on Russian soil since the Nazis.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The drawback of using essential oils to repel flies is that their efficacy is short-lived.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of repel
Verb
  • Mark Carney drew international attention as Canada’s prime minister by warning that middle powers must resist economic coercion by more powerful countries.
    — Rob Gillies, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • But once those opportunities have been funded, management should resist the temptation to pursue lower-quality projects simply to use available cash.
    — Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • If Watt struggles, perhaps CBS could turn back to Romo in a year.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Like so many in Gary, Indiana, Shatiya Hardin has been waiting for the minute her power finally turns back on.
    — Ash-har Quraishi, CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn back
Verb
  • His recent comments didn’t favor the Browns fanbase, and many Cleveland fans seem viscerally repulsed by him.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Most Americans are repulsed by the core ideas of radical leftists.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • Hugo Lloris turned away one shot for LAFC (10-7-5), which was coming off back-to-back 1-0 losses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, among the reasons that DeMar DeRozan turned away from the Heat might have been the writing on the wall that Klay would take that final Heat starting spot.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn away
Verb
  • Even the 2025 Tigers, the team that staved off a monumental late-season collapse, lives on as a fable highlighting the importance of playing the whole schedule.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Nonetheless, Friend said Nike was going to reduce sell-in to wholesale partners in the coming months to stave off future discounting.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stave off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

fending (off)
fend (off)
fends
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Cite this Entry

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

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