PROTECTS Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

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 That's because federal law generally protects Social Security retirement, disability and survivor benefits from garnishment by most private creditors. —

Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 June 2026 Texas also protects a variety of other wildlife, including bats, hawks, owls, whooping cranes and all species of sea turtles, according to TPWD. —

Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2026 This safety measure protects the species against natural disasters in an area that has lost thousands of acres of greenery to fire. —

Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 8 June 2026 In some studies, Novo has said the drug protects vital organs including the heart, liver and kidneys, and that these benefits appear to emerge before patients have lost significant weight. —

Madison Muller, Fortune, 7 June 2026 Pfizer’s experimental drug berobenatide works by staying attached longer to a protein in the blood called albumin, which protects the molecule from being broken down too quickly. —

Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 6 June 2026 Immediate freezing locks in nutrients and protects against degradation. —

Jillian Kubala, Health, 5 June 2026 Every university protects its own interests. —

Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2026 MYGAs generally are for conservative investors who want a vehicle that protects their principal and earns steady income that usually is higher than money market funds pay. —

Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for protects

Verb

In the case before the court, Mississippi defends late-arriving ballots, noting that the Constitution gives states the right to run their own elections.

— Nina Totenberg, NPR, 9 June 2026
Leo simultaneously defends the secrecy of confession as religious freedom, despite critics calling it an abuse shield, and sidesteps a meeting with ex-Opus Dei members amid Argentine investigations.

— Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026