Synonyms of protect

protect

verb

prə-ˈtekt 

as in to defend

to drive danger or attack away from

the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• defend
• safeguard
• shield
• guard
• keep
• secure
• fend
• prevent
• save
• fence
• preserve
• ward
• cover
• conserve
• bulwark
• screen
• stand up for
• forfend
• withstand
• resist
• avert
• oppose
• war
• fight
• contend
• buffer
• battle
• picket
• wall
• palisade

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attack
• assault
• assail
• beset
• overrun
• submit
• yield
• cave
• bombard
• storm
• besiege
• capitulate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word protect different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of protect are defend, guard, safeguard, and shield. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

a hard hat to protect your head

When is defend a more appropriate choice than protect?

The words defend and protect can be used in similar contexts, but defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

When is it sensible to use guard instead of protect?

In some situations, the words guard and protect are roughly equivalent. However, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

When can safeguard be used instead of protect?

Although the words safeguard and protect have much in common, safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

When would shield be a good substitute for protect?

While in some cases nearly identical to protect, shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of protect

Initiatives to protect Americans’ health were gutted. —Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026

The limit does not apply to debt service, which is treated separately to protect bondholders and maintain fiscal stability. —Martha E. Stark, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026

Ergo, United had no choice but to respond to keep its leading market position and protect its own gate allocation. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

Maryland taxpayers need someone who will take seriously the role of protecting taxpayer dollars. —Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026