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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But French Fiction is turning back after running a one-and-one-sixteenth-mile race at the Ashland.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026 -
Chubb said the majority of investors will keep turning back to what has been the driver of the bull run since late 2022.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the reading, 1 Kings Chapter 9, God warns King Solomon against turning away from him as Solomon consecrates the temple in Jerusalem.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
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After losing a child far too young, a parent might be forgiven for turning away from the world, shrinking in their grief.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Companion plant gardening is a natural and organic technique for repelling pests and growing healthier plants.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 May 2026
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How to use pest-repelling plants effectively outdoors Placement matters as much as the plants themselves.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 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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Saturday when the long-running contract negotiations broke down over the wage and cost-of-living increases that workers are demanding and the MTA has been resisting.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
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Eatherly’s previous arrest came after another incident on Saturday, when he was kicked out of a restaurant in Nashville and later arrested and charged with theft of services, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to an affidavit.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
15 May 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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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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The research suggests that staving off loneliness requires putting away our devices and connecting with other people in person.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 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 23 May. 2026.
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