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
An elderly person, living alone, might succumb to heat exhaustion with no one around to help; a kid who ends up overheated at a summer camp will be tended to by counselors. — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026 Studying that chemistry in ancient concrete requires a sample that nobody has patched or restored along the way—a rare commodity at ruins tended by generations of conservators. — Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 11 July 2026 Across professional football, as heat stress rises, players tend to make fewer passes, touches and dribbles, appearing to simplify their decisions and preserve energy for decisive moments. — Alan McCall, New York Times, 11 July 2026 Green olives, meanwhile, tend to be firmer and more briny, peppery and slightly more bitter. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 July 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
  • Centrists warned that a bizarro left-leaning tea party would, like its right-wing antecedent, throw away winnable seats.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
  • At the time, Republicans were positioned to flip a Senate seat in otherwise Democratic-leaning Delaware.
    — David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of lean
Verb
  • The heavy use of VAR has also interrupted the flow of games by halting matches that weren’t meant to be halted, leaving everyone standing on the field while the referee goes off to watch TV, sometimes for minutes at a time.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • All eyes on England-Norway Even as fans file into Arrowhead, many are stopping to watch the other quarterfinal now in progress, between England and Norway.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
Definition of watch
Verb
  • Calls for police in Wilmington, Delaware, to release body cam footage from the officer who shot and killed Kadir Skinner in June are growing.
    — CBS News Philadelphia Staff, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Former patrons of the bar and other mourners visited the site Tuesday, adding to the growing pile of flowers leaning on the guardrails cordoning off the location of the blaze.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of grow
Verb
  • The Huntington cultivates them on-site and has distributed many to botanic gardens and zoos across the country.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Located in the heart of the Marais district, the department store has been a fixture of Paris retail for more than 160 years and has spent decades cultivating a reputation for premium fashion, design and homeware.
    — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of cultivate
Verb
  • Tracy, who managed several of the current Red Sox players in Triple A earlier this season, isn’t surprised by their success.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • According to a source, Oman has drafted a proposal to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key sticking point in the conflict.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 12 July 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • Adults should closely supervise children around water and avoid distractions such as reading, using a phone, or other activities that take attention away from swimmers, the agency states on its website.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • Illinois resident Mwite Emily Kasanga, who went by Emily, died at 34 after allegedly choking on food when her care team failed to supervise her eating despite known risks, according to a July 6 complaint obtained by PEOPLE.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • China’s energy resilience and its ability to quickly and cheaply produce goods for other nations have helped buffer some of the economic impact from the war in Iran.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • In addition to Bridges, artists Lydia Kitto and J Lloyd produced the album.
    — Brayden Garcia July 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of produce
Verb
  • But if Texas doesn’t allow sports betting, how can these markets operate in the state?
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 July 2026
  • Marine engines operate under sustained high RPM and are exposed to moisture, which requires additional protection against wear and corrosion.
    — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs And Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 11 July 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 17 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tend for Spanish Speakers

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