Synonyms of safeguard

safeguard 1 of 2

noun

ˈsāf-ˌgärd 

1

as in protection

means or method of defending

with these safeguards in place, no one should be able to break into our computers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protection
• defense
• ammunition
• shield
• wall
• weapon
• security
• guard
• screen
• armor
• ward
• cover
• aegis
• buckler
• armament
• munitions
• stronghold
• fortress
• weaponry
• arm
• fort
• palisade
• fastness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attack
• assault
• offense
• aggression
• offensive

2

as in precaution

a measure taken to preclude loss or injury

safeguards that were intended to assure our security, but not at the expense of our liberty

Synonyms & Similar Words

• precaution
• preventive
• protection
• fail-safe
• shield
• palladium
• caution
• wall
• screen
• ward
• armor
• guard
• cover

safeguard

2 of 2

verb

as in to protect

to drive danger or attack away from

sheepdogs safeguard the flock from attacks by wolves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of safeguard are defend, guard, protect, and shield. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

When might defend be a better fit than safeguard?

While the synonyms defend and safeguard are close in meaning, defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

When is it sensible to use guard instead of safeguard?

Although the words guard and safeguard have much in common, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

When is protect a more appropriate choice than safeguard?

The words protect and safeguard are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 could shield be used to replace safeguard?

The synonyms shield and safeguard are sometimes interchangeable, but shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of safeguard

Noun

Online safeguards are, by and large, voluntary, and tech companies are still rarely held accountable for crimes committed on their sites, creating a virtual playground for predators to groom children without consequences. —Erin Nicholson, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025

Understaffing problems have long plagued the facility Inmates pointed to dangerously low staffing and a lack of basic safeguards. —Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025

Verb

San Diego could lead the nation in creating a balanced approach to e-bike safety — one that embraces innovation while safeguarding our children. —Justin Assioun, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025

Seed phrases concentrate risk in one secret while seedless paths distribute it across vendors, devices, identities, or extra hardware that must be safeguarded and, in a crisis, actually found. —Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025