Synonyms of tend

tend 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈtend 

as in to lean

to show a liking or proneness (for something)

her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lean
• incline
• go
• run
• trend
• gravitate
• indicate
• suggest
• point

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoid
• shun
• shy (from or away from)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• watch
• supervise
• oversee
• manage
• attend
• operate
• protect
• look after
• run
• see to
• control
• care (for)
• mind
• guard
• govern
• see after
• take care of
• conduct
• regulate
• superintend
• guide
• direct
• safeguard
• patrol
• preside (over)
• administrate
• shield
• mother
• baby
• steward
• babysit
• shepherd
• chaperon
• chaperone

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• abandon
• disregard
• neglect
• pass over

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grow
• cultivate
• produce
• promote
• raise
• culture
• plant
• harvest
• dress
• crop
• propagate
• breed
• rear
• gather
• reap
• sow
• glean
• ripen
• sprout
• germinate
• quicken
• root

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• kill
• pick
• dig
• pull (up)
• cut
• pluck
• hay
• uproot
• extirpate
• mow

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cultivate
• till
• plant
• farm
• harvest
• reap
• crop
• hoe
• harrow
• sharecrop

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• manage
• operate
• supervise
• oversee
• handle
• regulate
• run
• control
• conduct
• govern
• keep
• overlook
• direct
• administer
• guide
• protect
• carry on
• preside (over)
• watch over
• watch
• steer
• administrate
• lead
• superintend
• steward
• care (for)
• safeguard
• mind
• guard
• pilot
• micromanage
• stage-manage
• comanage
• codirect

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tend

Verb

Such phenomena tend to help lead to multiples contracting — at least temporarily. —Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 May 2025

In practice, the marketing language around these tools tends not to capture the ways that actual humans use them. —Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025

The second season—the follicular phase, known as inner spring—is characterized by increasing levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen, so energy levels tend to rise and mood improves. —Hatty Willmoth, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025

Susie raises chickens and tends a garden filled with asparagus, blueberries and strawberries. —Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025