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tend 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈtend How to pronounce tend (audio)
Definition of tendnext
as in to lean
to show a liking or proneness (for something) her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tend

2 of 2

verb (2)

1
as in to watch
to take charge of especially on behalf of another tend the store while I run an errand

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2
as in to grow
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to cultivate
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens

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4
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone

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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 tend
Verb
That’s not the case for many other ab exercises, such as crunches, which tend to target only one area. — Christa Sgobba, HEALTH, 17 Sep. 2026 Divisional games tend to be close, but the Panthers have more firepower. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 The growing cadre of AI mental-health services tend to avoid using words like therapist and therapy. — Steven Barrie-Anthony, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026 Tillmon’s brain Tillmon said one of the biggest differences between FBS and FCS is in the trenches, with FBS lines tending to be much bigger. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tend
  1. lean
  2. watch
  3. grow
  4. cultivate
  5. manage
  6. supervise
  7. produce
  8. operate
Verb
  • Those rumors haven’t gone unnoticed, with Bronwyn leaning into them by making a scissoring motion with her hands — but all in jest!
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Cultivating a reputation as a go-to fixer for features, particularly when dealing with the internet, youth culture, and female leaning genre, her essays have appeared in New York Magazine‘s The Cut, Glamour, Variety and Volume 0.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of lean
Verb
  • Weekend votes This weekend, there are two key political moments for investors to watch.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The experience of watching the film was ambiently excruciating, like twiddling your thumbs at a bus stop on a humid day.
    — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of watch
Verb
  • The platform decides which content receives additional exposure, and that exposure can influence who discovers a creator and whether the creator’s audience grows.
    — Sergi Cerrato, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Out of that conversation grew my novel The Undead, which is, in some ways, a parting love letter to Moscow.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of grow
Verb
  • Wickersham spent more than a year writing his book and cultivated the background from a sportswriting life spent observing QBs.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The promotion and publicity that larger news organizations can bring to bear is just one consideration, as is an ability to put new content directly in front of a large audience that has already been cultivated.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of cultivate
Verb
  • No side allowed their opponents more shots across the first two Premier League rounds of the season (44) than Newcastle, and Bournemouth managed another 17 on Saturday, 13 of them during the first half.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Rockies, who managed just a walk through the first four innings, finished with 11 hits.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • People still need to supervise systems, manage exceptions, interpret information, and make decisions.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • He was sentenced to 50 days in jail but given credit for 50 days of time served and supervised release for three years.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • When the ball was on target, not only was it was caught, but receivers produced nearly 60 percent of Iowa’s pass yards after the catch.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That target remains well beyond simply producing a larger processor.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of produce
Verb
  • Blough said farmers will be clocked by the high prices because of the high use of diesel to transport fertilizers and crops and operate tractors and combines.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Cabot expects the projects to support manufacturing and construction jobs while creating additional capacity for customers operating in the North American battery supply chain.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of operate

Browse Nearby Words

tenants
tend
tended
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Cite this Entry

“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tend. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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