as in repels
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 fends (off)
Verb
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This creates a protective barrier that repels fingerprints and gives your appliances a sparkling finish.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Sep. 2025 -
His success is both what draws those closest to him and repels them from his elevated position.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The rug is suitable for high-traffic areas and is designed with durability in mind, with low-pile fabric that doesn’t shed and resists stains.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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Herzog resists making a hero out of Messner, who can seem subject to a darkly fatalistic drive.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And Keenan Allen turns back the clock.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
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Law plays Jake Friedken, a hotshot restaurant owner whose life is thrown into chaos when his black sheep older brother, Vince (Jason Bateman), turns back up after years on the run.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And surely enough, the club’s focus soon turns away from their increasingly baffling cold case and onto a more pressing one.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
22 Aug. 2025
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Broadly, debanking is an umbrella term for when a bank turns away a potential customer, which can happen for a ton of reasons.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fends (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fends%20%28off%29. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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