protects

verb

present tense third-person singular of protect
as in defends
to drive danger or attack away from the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of protects Habeas corpus is a basic legal principle that protects people from being unlawfully detained and the petition allows immigrants like Wilber to challenge the legality of their detention. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 Streamline a tricky task with a co-worker, update an invoice, or create a cleaner process that protects your time and self-respect. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026 True governance protects the business by making systems safely replaceable. — Signe Jancis, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 The roof’s steep metal surface not only protects the home from cold winds, but creates enough height for an additional sleeping loft. — Bridget Borgobello july 03, New Atlas, 4 July 2026 Colorado currently protects the right of transgender student-athletes to compete on school and collegiate sports teams that align with their gender identity. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Ratified in 1868, the 14th Amendment also protects citizens' rights from being violated by state governments. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 2 July 2026 The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is a nonprofit that protects and manages the herd of about 115 horses with the help of donations. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026 Curbing an infectious disease abroad protects health at home, reducing the risk of cross-border transmission and lowering the chance of new, costlier public health threats. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protects
  1. defends
  2. shields
  3. safeguards
  4. guards
Verb
  • Waymo defends its safety record, saying that Waymo vehicles were involved in 94% fewer crashes that caused serious or fatal injury compared to human drivers in the same areas.
    — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • As Argentina defends its World Cup title and Messi nears a final tournament, the Valley deli showcases soccer as national faith and global bridge.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of defends
Verb
  • The ruling retained the Fed’s special status in the government that shields it from interference by the White House—now or in the future.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • That case concerns a longstanding Supreme Court precedent that broadly shields members of such boards from being fired at will, in order to protect them from partisan interference.
    — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of shields
Verb
  • The Components of Confidential Computing Confidential Computing (CC) safeguards data during processing, not just storage or transmission.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • According to the State Controller's Office, the state safeguards unclaimed property on behalf of individuals, businesses, and public agencies.
    — Brad Hamilton, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Definition of safeguards
Verb
  • The 6-foot-9 Haugh stretches defenses with his shooting, attacks the rim, thrives in transition and guards multiple positions.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026
  • The Wolverines signed two other top-50 prospects in forwards Quinn Costello and Lincoln Cosby, plus guards Joseph Hartman and Malachi Brown and center Marcus Moller, a 7-foot-3 prospect from Denmark.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of guards

Browse Nearby Words

protectors
protects
protégé
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Protects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protects. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on protects

Nglish: Translation of protects for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All