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fends (off)

verb

present tense third-person singular of fend (off)
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)
  1. repels
  2. repulses
  3. resists
  4. turns back
  5. turns away
Verb
  • Spray the areas around your home where wasps have gathered in the past with peppermint essential oil spray, which Wong says overwhelms their sensory receptors and naturally repels them.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Celery, thyme, marigold, and chamomile can help mask the smell of cabbage plants, while borage repels the moths.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 July 2026
Definition of repels
Verb
  • Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.
    — Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.
    — Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of repulses
Verb
  • That’s an attitude that Paulo Herkenhoff, a septuagenarian art curator, resists.
    — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The actor resists framing her character as either predator or victim.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of resists
Verb
  • Those talks have since stalled as Tehran focuses on negotiating the future of the Strait of Hormuz and Washington turns back to diplomacy.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The opening holes may not immediately reveal what awaits, but that changes quickly as the course turns back on itself and descends into a stunning, secluded valley that eventually opens toward the coastline.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of turns back
Verb
  • The insect naturally turns away when an antenna touches an obstacle.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 July 2026
  • The bear, seemingly frightened, quickly turns away from the boy and continues running, sliding under a boat parked in the driveway.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of turns away
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

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

Cite this Entry

“Fends (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fends%20%28off%29. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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