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
When the crowd piles on one side of a division game, the other side tends to carry the value. — FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2026 El Niño's impact on North America Due to the warmer climate, the southern portion of North America tends to experience wetter conditions during an El Niño event, as more frequent storms move in from the Pacific Ocean. — Nikki Nolan, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026 This is particularly true with Air Jordans, where the most in-demand model tends to shift every few years. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2026 Higher Treasury yields, in turn, tend to push mortgage rates up. — Mike Winters, CNBC, 12 Nov. 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
  • But the churn rate for teachers isn’t necessarily an issue, according to Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the prominent conservative-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute, who wrote a book on the school.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Treatments lean practical and recovery-focused, with deep-tissue and sports massages that zero in on quads, hips, and lower backs after long ski days.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of lean
Verb
  • By sunset, everyone gathers on the beach to watch the last kiters streak across the water as what looks like a giant ball of fire slips into the ocean.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
  • PixCams installed two new cameras at the Glen Hazel nest, allowing viewers to watch the bald eagle pair through two cameras for the first time.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of watch
Verb
  • Their activity creates a growing stream of branch updates, code reviews, merges, and repository downloads.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Tapestry's recognition also adds to a growing collection of national honors earned by Minnesota food businesses.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of grow
Verb
  • In other cases the cells may be cultivated in a bioreactor, in which they are suspended and kept in motion; constant spinning encourages the cells to self-organize into multilayered, three-dimensional structures.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Her musical influences, similarly incongruous on their face, stem from an era of digital music post-iTunes and pre-slop when casual internet explorers could cultivate a sprawling taste profile for free.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of cultivate
Verb
  • The Rams still managed to rack up 513 yards of offense on the Broncos, including several big plays in which a Rams receiver was wide open, or several Bronco defenders missed tackles that turned a short gain into a big play.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Nov. 2026
  • And our research at Xero shows that owners spend nearly 22 hours a month on finance alone—just tracking and managing money.
    — Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • Educators aren’t prepared to supervise AI use, while students may struggle to tell which tools are safe or harmful, the release said.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Della Valle over the years reviewed the role of a creative director after the exit of Alessandra Facchinetti in 2016, leaving the job to the brand’s team, until the arrival of Chiapponi, who supervised both women’s and men’s collections.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • Milei’s austerity drive has produced a rare budget surplus and slashed annual inflation from 200% to about 32%.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026
  • This story about college and AI was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of produce
Verb
  • Owned and operated by the Ahousaht First Nation, the 16-room floating lodge and four forest cabins were reacquired in 2022 by the Nation’s hereditary chiefs through the Maaqutusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (MHSS).
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Archway Communities operates affordable housing across the Front Range, where residents can afford to live and pursue their goals.
    — Anna Alejo, CBS News, 13 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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