fends

verb

present tense third-person singular of fend
as in protects
to drive danger or attack away from learned to use humor to fend herself from criticism

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fends
  1. protects
  2. defends
  3. shields
Verb
  • The left side of the offensive line also now protects the quarterback’s blind side, as is normally the case.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • And just an easy 30-minute drive from downtown, the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve protects one of Alabama’s most important coastal ecosystems.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
Definition of protects
Verb
  • Hamzah Sheeraz defends his WBO super middleweight belt against Simon Zachenhuber, and Josh Kelly defends the IBF junior middleweight title against Caoimhin Agyarko.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Cunningham defends and protects the most popular figure in women's sports.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of defends
Verb
  • Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act shields these companies from legal responsibility for such content.
    — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • Malware protection shields your devices from harmful sites, and automatic updates keep your defenses current.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 July 2026
Definition of shields
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

fend (off)
fends
fends for oneself
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fends. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fends

Nglish: Translation of fends for Spanish Speakers

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