as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from
a place of refuge where the settlers could forfend themselves from attack
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Recent Examples of forfend
What’s non-negotiable is that it must be made using a kettle, never — heaven forfend — a microwave.
—
Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
For people who spend too much time debating politics or surfing the internet -- or, heaven forfend, doing both at the same time -- engagement with the real world can present something of a ...
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 23 May 2024
Heaven forfend!
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 3 July 2020
In the United States, instead of building more houses inside the old circle (or, heaven forfend, even closer together and near the places people go), people have built houses even further away.
—Adam Rogers, Wired, 30 Dec. 2021
But is Twitter outrage (or, heaven forfend, praise) a useful metric for audience engagement?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 May 2021
And of course the president says oh, my gosh, heaven forfend that poor Omarosa would have to go.
—Fox News, 14 Aug. 2018
Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
For people who spend too much time debating politics or surfing the internet -- or, heaven forfend, doing both at the same time -- engagement with the real world can present something of a ...
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 23 May 2024
Heaven forfend!
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 3 July 2020
In the United States, instead of building more houses inside the old circle (or, heaven forfend, even closer together and near the places people go), people have built houses even further away.
—Adam Rogers, Wired, 30 Dec. 2021
But is Twitter outrage (or, heaven forfend, praise) a useful metric for audience engagement?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 May 2021
And of course the president says oh, my gosh, heaven forfend that poor Omarosa would have to go.
—Fox News, 14 Aug. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forfend
Verb
-
Today the act protects more than 2,300 plant and animal species in the US and abroad.—
Christine Peterson,
Wired News,
5 July 2025
-
The show, based on a novella by the author Martha Wells, follows a snarky private-security cyborg (played by Alexander Skarsgård) assigned to protect a group of scientists investigating a mostly uncharted planet.—
Emma Stefansky,
The Atlantic,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Thanks to the oceans on either side of us, the frozen wasteland to the north, and a gentle behemoth to the south, no one thought much about having to defend our borders.—
Stephen Marche,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2025
-
The medium-to-long-range layer, David’s Sling, has replaced Patriot batteries supplied by the United States, defending against both aircraft, cruise missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles using a missile called Stunner.—
Sebastien Roblin,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Following the case law and detailed criteria for trust classification and instituting best practices can safeguard individuals’ trusts’ domestic status and avoid unintended tax and liability consequences.—
Priya Prakash Royal Esq. LL.M. MBA AEP TEP,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
These updates often patch vulnerabilities that malware can exploit. 4) Use mobile security software: The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious software is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
However, her growing prominence couldn't shield her from the pressures of censorship.—
Ime Ekpo,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
Republicans have tried to shield some of their rural constituencies from the worst effects of the bill, Jacquez notes.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Healthcare providers use it to guard sensitive patient data and meet strict compliance standards.—
Bhupendra Singh,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Chen finished with a career-high 10 points and drew the assignment of guarding Ariel Atkins, the Sky’s leading scorer in the fourth quarter.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forfend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forfend. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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