as in turning back
to drive back
the herd fended off attacking hyenas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fending (off)
Verb
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With an eye on climate goals, countries are turning back to nuclear energy to meet their energy demands without releasing carbon into the atmosphere.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026 -
Adams fell toward goalkeeper and New Jersey native Matt Turner, who was filming the moment, and landed on his left leg before turning back to continue his celebration by climbing back over the couch and then back off it again, his foot again perilously sliding through that space.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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In the experiment, a familiar caregiver—the child’s parent or the pet’s owner—interacted with a sponge before turning away.—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
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But when turning away becomes habitual, relationships begin to feel emotionally lonely.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
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However, Hawaii Forest & Trail has permission to take small groups to the summit on a five-hour Hidden Craters Hike that includes repelling into and scrambling through a large lava tube.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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The chemical is believed to work in a number of ways—jamming smell detectors so that mosquitoes cannot recognize a human or animal target, conferring a bitter taste that mosquitoes detect on their feet, or mimicking the smell of natural mosquito-repelling plants.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
28 May 2026
Verb
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While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Victor Rivas, 40, sustained injuries to his arms and was treated at a hospital before he was booked into jail on allegations of driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and being a fugitive from adjacent Jefferson Parish, Louisiana State Police said.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
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Appleberry also faces misdemeanor charges of resisting or obstructing a peace officer or emergency medical technician and battery, as well as allegations stemming from a 2023 assault case involving a weapon.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pavers or concrete designed to mimic natural stone slabs visually break up the surface, staving off parking lot connotations.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
21 May 2026
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His last adventure involved him staving off a multiversal crisis by making everyone in the world forget him, including his best friends MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon).—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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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 15 Jun. 2026.
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