1
as in wardens
a person or group that watches over someone or something
checked in with the security guard at the gate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in defensives
a position of readiness to oppose actual or expected attack
be on your guard against snakes in the swamp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in locks
a protective device (as on a weapon) to prevent accidental operation
slid the guard into place over the chainsaw chain
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in defenses
means or method of defending
the boxer's sparring partner managed to get a blow in under his left guard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in guides
one that accompanies another for protection, guidance, or as a courtesy
the honor guards raised their sabers as the happy couple descended the church steps
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in defenders
someone that protects
a battalion of burly guards surrounding the celebrity
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in protects
to drive danger or attack away from
guard the quarterback so he doesn't get sacked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blockades
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point
a fire-breathing dragon guarded the entrance to the castle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guards
Dan Albano, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
The Dolphins have three viable starting offensive linemen — Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson — under contract, and that doesn’t include Jonah Savaiinaea, who was one of the worst starting offensive guards in the NFL last season.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
Clarke and two others whose mothers also concealed their pregnancies from Nazi guards are among the youngest survivors of the Holocaust.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Starting guards Toneari Lane and Dominique Ford led USD with 14 points apiece, while guard Adrian McIntyre came off the bench to score 14 points.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Many other tour companies have one or no Indigenous guards, but more than a dozen native Inuit guides accompanied my fellow travelers and I on our expedition.
—Robert Annis, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
Stripped of their personal identifiers and identity, guards stopped seeing prisoners as people and went on to treat them without the humanity that all deserve.
—William Robiner, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
In slalom, racers typically knock down gates with their arms or shins, which are protected by plastic shin guards.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
The team’s mean average height is 6-foot-4 due to the notable shortness of main rotation guards Tre Jones (6-foot-1) and Rob Dillingham (6-foot-2) and two-way guards Yuki Kawamura (5-foot-7) and Mac McClung (6-foot-2).
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Rookie guards Max Shulga and John Tonje, the latter acquired from Utah in the Boucher trade, are Boston’s other two-way players.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 2026
Junior guards Ben Piekarz, the coach’s son, and Dave Malley each made four 3-pointers, including three apiece in the second half.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
The core rotation of Swain, post Matas Vokietaitis, forward Lassina Traore, wing Cam Heide and guards Tramon Mark, Simeon Wilcher, Jordan Pope and Chendall Weaver have played in a cumulative 190 out of a possible 192 games.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The Wizards traded for the 32-year-old Davis on Wednesday, sending four players and five draft picks to the Dallas Mavericks for Davis and guards D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy and Danté Exum.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Working in reverse with those three options, the three two-way players currently under contract to the Heat are center Vlad Goldin and guards Myron Gardner and Jahmir Young.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
But her mother guards her fiercely, because even the most minor imbalance in her small, cloistered world could bring the seizures back again.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Last summer’s political violence — and a subsequent break-in at the Capitol by a nude intruder who guards found sitting in the Senate President’s Chair — increased political pressure to harden security.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
And the game pits two of the county’s best guards in junior Harmony Golightly of Mater Dei and Texas signee Amalia Holguin of Sage Hill.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
The Dolphins have three viable starting offensive linemen — Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson — under contract, and that doesn’t include Jonah Savaiinaea, who was one of the worst starting offensive guards in the NFL last season.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
Clarke and two others whose mothers also concealed their pregnancies from Nazi guards are among the youngest survivors of the Holocaust.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Starting guards Toneari Lane and Dominique Ford led USD with 14 points apiece, while guard Adrian McIntyre came off the bench to score 14 points.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Many other tour companies have one or no Indigenous guards, but more than a dozen native Inuit guides accompanied my fellow travelers and I on our expedition.
—Robert Annis, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
Stripped of their personal identifiers and identity, guards stopped seeing prisoners as people and went on to treat them without the humanity that all deserve.
—William Robiner, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
In slalom, racers typically knock down gates with their arms or shins, which are protected by plastic shin guards.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
The team’s mean average height is 6-foot-4 due to the notable shortness of main rotation guards Tre Jones (6-foot-1) and Rob Dillingham (6-foot-2) and two-way guards Yuki Kawamura (5-foot-7) and Mac McClung (6-foot-2).
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
The other two are occupied by undrafted rookie guards Curtis Jones and Tamar Bates.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Rookie guards Max Shulga and John Tonje, the latter acquired from Utah in the Boucher trade, are Boston’s other two-way players.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 2026
Junior guards Ben Piekarz, the coach’s son, and Dave Malley each made four 3-pointers, including three apiece in the second half.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
The core rotation of Swain, post Matas Vokietaitis, forward Lassina Traore, wing Cam Heide and guards Tramon Mark, Simeon Wilcher, Jordan Pope and Chendall Weaver have played in a cumulative 190 out of a possible 192 games.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The Wizards traded for the 32-year-old Davis on Wednesday, sending four players and five draft picks to the Dallas Mavericks for Davis and guards D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy and Danté Exum.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Working in reverse with those three options, the three two-way players currently under contract to the Heat are center Vlad Goldin and guards Myron Gardner and Jahmir Young.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
But her mother guards her fiercely, because even the most minor imbalance in her small, cloistered world could bring the seizures back again.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Last summer’s political violence — and a subsequent break-in at the Capitol by a nude intruder who guards found sitting in the Senate President’s Chair — increased political pressure to harden security.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guards
Noun
-
According to wardens, a team of trackers spotted the twins on Saturday, with monitoring and protection measures in force to increase their chances of survival.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Forest wardens walk into Kyebi Forest Reserve in the East Akim Municipal district in Ghana.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There remains a rotation underway – financials over tech , value over growth , defensives over high-beta stocks – simply not enough to hold the indexes harmless.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Plenty of other teams — the Thunder, Boston, New York, San Antonio, Denver, Houston, Cleveland — are probably safe to call playoff locks at this point as well.—
Tim Reynolds,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Zendaya looked so different with shoulder-grazing ginger locks that were styled in curly pigtails with a middle part.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Criminal defenses that meet the legal threshold to argue an alternative perpetrator was responsible are extremely uncommon in the state, legal experts told the Statesman.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Ukraine’s frontline defenses have held up – but only just.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The other three victims were hired guides who led the expedition.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The victims, including three guides, were found fairly close together, Greene said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ukrainian defenders remain locked in a war of attrition with Russia’s bigger army along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Arráez has been one of the worst defenders in baseball since making his debut.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This violates the 4th Amendment, which protects people (including noncitizens) from unreasonable searches and seizures in their homes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The plant cell wall protects the carbs from dissolving in water.—
Michaeleen Doucleff,
NPR,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guards. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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