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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There is no turning back, no compromise, no side road.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026 -
But savvy marketing campaigns and partnerships with major employers have tricked consumers into turning back to payday loans.—
Christopher Greenwood,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Border policy used in past administrations The practice of not letting an asylum-seeker pass through a checkpoint was used periodically during the Obama administration, when border officers began turning away hundreds of Haitian asylum-seekers at ports of entry in California.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Hospitals ran out of blood, and started turning away patients.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And beyond the initial hit to tourism and trade, the cost of repelling the attacks is staggering.—
Hadley Gamble,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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This occurs when decomposing organic matter or soil fungi form a waxy, water-resistant coating around soil particles, repelling water rather than absorb it.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
15 Mar. 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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Pride should come from your willingness to improve, not from resisting uncomfortable truths.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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One individual was also charged with complicity, and another was charged with resisting arrest, the department said.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 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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Maintaining ties with Tehran is crucial for containing domestic tensions and staving off an insurgency from the minority Baloch community there.—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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McCarthy stood on his head for much of the final 25 minutes, staving off 17 shots through the third period and first overtime.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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