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

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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 William tells me Saint Michael is the angel that protects soldiers, police officers, and firefighters. — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 That approach protects young people and preserves access for adults who have already made the choice to move away from cigarettes. — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026 The Americans with Disabilities Act, the federal law that protects people with disabilities, requires that public spaces accommodate those with physical limitations and prohibits discrimination against them in government programs. — Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 Wednesday’s lawsuits say 99% of species that the Endangered Species Act protects have avoided extinction. — CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 Compliance protects your organization legally and builds visitor trust by handling data responsibly. — Lesa Seibert, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 The closed-toe design protects your feet from debris and has a lightweight, comfy midsole. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026 And an environmental organization protects space while inspiring the next generation to follow suit. — Robert Bush, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026 This fee generates revenue used for maintenance and operations of the 16-mile-long (28-kilometer) levee system along the Susquehanna River that protects around 18,000 buildings and over 62,000 people. — Kaleigh Yost, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protects
  1. defends
  2. shields
  3. safeguards
  4. guards
Verb
  • Coach Hudson defends Ricky to Gerry’s face, but privately lectures his daughter about the optics of their close relationship as a female football coach and tells her to put some space between her and Chad (and unknowingly, Russ).
    — Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In relation to what one longs for, questions, resists, imagines, or defends.
    — Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of defends
Verb
  • Bumble and bumble’s Heat Shield mist is made to be sprayed onto dry hair before a flat iron, curling iron, or other hot tool, providing essential UV protection that shields color.
    — Polly Blitzer, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The death penalty in the state has largely been tied up in litigation over an agreement related to the coronavirus pandemic that defense lawyers contend temporarily shields many death row residents from execution.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shields
Verb
  • Nearly eight in ten Florida voters support maintaining our long-standing school vaccine safeguards.
    — Kas Miller, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Summary The federal government traditionally safeguards investors through disclosure, oversight, and enforcement.
    — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of safeguards
Verb
  • Anthropic closely guards its training data sources, but music publishers think the court should require more transparency.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Liberty guards Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier are both looking forward to the opportunity to represent France during the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup tournament.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of guards

Browse Nearby Words

protectors
protects
protégé
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Cite this Entry

“Protects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protects. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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