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

Your 2nd House of Assets hosts loving Venus, who sextiles therapeutic Chiron in your 4th House of Support, encouraging choices that protect family stability and personal dignity. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026

Flinders Chase National Park, which covers almost a third of Kangaroos Island, protects those animals and stunning geological formations, including the famous Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch. —Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026

The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026

Our beloved sister, Samantha, lost her life that morning while trying to protect our family, and others were critically injured. —Scott Butler, Florida Times-Union, 4 Feb. 2026