as in defenses
means or method of defending
the slightly built boy used his sharp wit as a shield against the school's bullies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in protects
to drive danger or attack away from
celebrities who are shielded by a cluster of bodyguards whenever they appear in public
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of shields
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The dearth of trees on the island implied to some that the inhabitants had cut them down to make clubs and shields.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For a midrange option, Sunski makes lightweight glasses with removable side sun shields that can function as regular sunglasses when off the snowy trail.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
When all was said and done, nobody went for the shields, meaning the Traitors will have their pick of the litter.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
The video footage did not appear to capture any rocks, bottles or fireworks being thrown at the federal officers or any shields held by the protesters.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Even today, class and education serve as shields from the Delta’s violent culture.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Anti-riot police officers, wearing helmets and body armor, carried batons, shields, shotguns and tear gas launchers, according to the witnesses.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The administration made noises last year about firing Powell despite federal law that shields the chair from serving strictly at the president’s pleasure.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Both are interwoven with conductive materials such as stainless steel threads, which form a Faraday cage that shields the wearer against the lines’ electric fields.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Jan. 2026
This clarity shields your tender core.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
The situation is also likely to test existing laws, like Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields online providers from liability for content created by users.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
An attendant shields the horse from the sun with a large umbrella as others knot its mane into cornrows and adorn the animal’s leg with an ornament.
—James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The Olathe police officer who shot and killed a 27-year-old man in a mental health crisis is not entitled to qualified immunity, a legal protection that shields public employees from liability, according to a new ruling.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
The operation prompted multiple lawsuits and a new law that shields immigrants from arrests near courthouses, hospitals and schools.
—CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Noun
Those shields include Section 230 and free speech defenses tied to user content.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The dearth of trees on the island implied to some that the inhabitants had cut them down to make clubs and shields.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For a midrange option, Sunski makes lightweight glasses with removable side sun shields that can function as regular sunglasses when off the snowy trail.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
When all was said and done, nobody went for the shields, meaning the Traitors will have their pick of the litter.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
The video footage did not appear to capture any rocks, bottles or fireworks being thrown at the federal officers or any shields held by the protesters.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Even today, class and education serve as shields from the Delta’s violent culture.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Anti-riot police officers, wearing helmets and body armor, carried batons, shields, shotguns and tear gas launchers, according to the witnesses.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
One year after the devastating Eaton fire, survivors are challenging California law that shields electric utilities from paying for the damages of wildfires sparked by their equipment.
—Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The administration made noises last year about firing Powell despite federal law that shields the chair from serving strictly at the president’s pleasure.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Both are interwoven with conductive materials such as stainless steel threads, which form a Faraday cage that shields the wearer against the lines’ electric fields.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Jan. 2026
This clarity shields your tender core.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
The situation is also likely to test existing laws, like Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields online providers from liability for content created by users.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
An attendant shields the horse from the sun with a large umbrella as others knot its mane into cornrows and adorn the animal’s leg with an ornament.
—James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The Olathe police officer who shot and killed a 27-year-old man in a mental health crisis is not entitled to qualified immunity, a legal protection that shields public employees from liability, according to a new ruling.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
The operation prompted multiple lawsuits and a new law that shields immigrants from arrests near courthouses, hospitals and schools.
—CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shields
Noun
-
When incidents unfold at machine speed, defenses are no longer tested in theory but in real time.—
James Hadley,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
McDonald was a game-wrecker for one of the most dominant defenses in the country, earning consensus All-American honors.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Grassley has argued that the practice protects checks and balances, encourages the White House to consult with senators, and prevents administrations of either party from jamming through prosecutors and judges who lack local support.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The settlement agreement protects the anonymity of the affected youth and families while securing the withdrawal of the government’s demands for their medical records — and those of their fellow patients, Silver said.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, black volcanic gravel covers the ground and shallow craters dot the terrain.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Private insurance often covers a finite number of occupational or physical therapy sessions that would help someone recover from, say, a surgery or a broken bone.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
When these platforms lack robust privacy safeguards, innovation itself becomes vulnerable.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Experts have studied when reprocessing makes sense, for which fuels, at what cost and under what safeguards.—
Mike Levin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights organizes, educates, and defends immigrant communities, pairing on-the-ground support with an unflinching push for a more humane national policy.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Sins of Kujo, adapted from Shohei Manabe’s manga, casts Yuya Yagira as a morally ambiguous lawyer who defends society’s most reprehensible figures, a dark, adult-skewing legal drama.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For more sensitive content, use Signal, which includes better additional security protections and doesn’t collect metadata in the same way as WhatsApp.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
These plans are not insurance, and therefore not subject to the Affordable Care Act's rules or protections, says Joann Volk, a professor at Georgetown University who studies private insurance markets.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But her mother guards her fiercely, because even the most minor imbalance in her small, cloistered world could bring the seizures back again.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Last summer’s political violence — and a subsequent break-in at the Capitol by a nude intruder who guards found sitting in the Senate President’s Chair — increased political pressure to harden security.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Damaged walls may not be able to support the building's weight.—
Pat Harvey,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Using a speaker outside the stall results in reverb and echoing as the music bounces around the bathroom walls, making the sound muddy and unpleasant.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shields.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shields. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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