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
  • Reliable transportation infrastructure also protects the people who depend on it most.
    — Kevin Blackwell, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This insurance protects your deposits up to the legal limit in the event your bank fails.
    — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of protects
Verb
  • Continue reading … FACING SCRUTINY — Anthropic CEO defends record on safety, sales to China.
    — , FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Saturday is supposed to be a reward for another week of work, which is why Freeman so fiercely defends the right to celebrate all Notre Dame’s wins.
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of defends
Verb
  • Tooth enamel is the tough outer coating that shields your teeth from chewing, acids, temperature swings and daily wear.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • With methane—a potent greenhouse gas—ousted from the atmosphere, and the creation of the UV-protective ozone layer (which still shields us from the sun’s rays today), the Earth began to cool and experienced one of its earliest ice ages.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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