FENDS Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fends

Verb

SpaceX will use this imagery to study and potentially improve the heat shield, which protects Ship during its return trip through Earth's atmosphere.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Your patient leadership keeps friends aligned, and your careful math protects long-term goals, such as saving for training.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of protects

Verb

What's particularly compelling in this book is how lyrically Rovelli still vehemently defends the power and promise of physics (and science in general).

— Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
The Athletic examines what makes this type of punch special and why Garcia, who defends his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn this weekend, is equipped with one of the most potent weapons in the sport.

— Chris McKenna, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of defends

Verb

Bumble and bumble’s Heat Shield mist is made to be sprayed onto dry hair before a flat iron, curling iron, or other hot tool, providing essential UV protection that shields color.

— Polly Blitzer, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2026
The death penalty in the state has largely been tied up in litigation over an agreement related to the coronavirus pandemic that defense lawyers contend temporarily shields many death row residents from execution.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 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.

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fends. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fends

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes