as in turning back
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 fending (off)
Verb
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Beiersdorf brand Nivea is turning back time in a new partnership with beloved Y2K clothing brand Juicy Couture.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025 -
Week 4 highlights featured Willow Glen’s comeback win over Christopher, Foothill’s Max Shuga making an amazing catch to set up the winning touchdown against San Leandro, Piedmont turning back Aragon, De La Salle holding off Grant-Sacramento and more.—
Darren Sabedra,
Mercury News,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Students from the kingdom are increasingly turning away from US universities in particular, put off by a mix of hostile immigration policies, concerns over gun violence, and the kingdom’s own push to grow its domestic education sector.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Local solar installers are now fully booked and turning away new customers ahead of the December 31 deadline.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the first episode, the recruits wasted no time in repelling from a helicopter hovering in the air.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
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Realistically, your best chance of success at naturally repelling rats may be using predator urine, repellent pouches, or ultrasonic devices that require less worry and upkeep.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yoni Mendez-Lopez, 29, a Mexican national, was taken into custody with a record that includes resisting an officer, battery on a law enforcement officer, assault on a law enforcement officer, driving without a valid license, and attempting to flee to elude law enforcement, according to ICE.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Wood explained that speaking out on her feelings about the sketch was about resisting the instinct to shrink herself.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The language used by American fans towards European players at Bethpage Black became a flashpoint during last weekend’s tournament, which Europe won 15-13 after staving off a dramatic US fightback on Sunday.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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His being here—scraping, sanding, painting, sitting across the table from us for dinner most nights—had been one of the joys of the past few weeks, a way of staving off the tension of moving and the sameness of the routine with the kids and the meals and the bedtime stories and all the rest.—
T. Coraghessan Boyle,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fending (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fending%20%28off%29. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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