as in prone
having a tendency to be or act in a certain way
people tending toward daily exercise will significantly reduce their risk of cardiac arrest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in leaning
to show a liking or proneness (for something)
her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in supervising
to take charge of especially on behalf of another
tend the store while I run an errand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in growing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cultivating
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
4
as in managing
to look after and make decisions about
the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of tending
ABC News, 3 June 2026
That's the reverse of recent elections, which saw more Democrats voting by mail and Republicans tending to vote in person on Election Day.
—Marisa Lagos, NPR, 3 June 2026
Cusumano tells us about How to Feed a Dictator, an intriguing documentary about chefs tasked with tending to the alimentary needs of all-powerful political leaders.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 June 2026
Harvesting Watermelons After months of growing and tending to your watermelon plants, harvest time is always exciting!
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
There’s a lot of tending required.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 2 June 2026
Further conversations with master gardeners tending the CAP garden plot revealed some positive changes in the soil’s health, particularly in terms of microbial activity.
—Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Trump also posted an an image that appeared to depict himself as Jesus Christ tending to a sick man.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Moving materials between workstations, restocking inventory in busy warehouses, tending machines built for human interaction, and conducting inspections in dangerous and confined spaces aren’t glamorous use cases.
—Robert Ambrose, Fortune, 23 May 2026
Verb
Tackling a personal to-do list alongside others is a double-duty activity that combines the satisfaction of tending to necessary chores with the no less vital work of nurturing relationships.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
That's the reverse of recent elections, which saw more Democrats voting by mail and Republicans tending to vote in person on Election Day.
—Marisa Lagos, NPR, 3 June 2026
Cusumano tells us about How to Feed a Dictator, an intriguing documentary about chefs tasked with tending to the alimentary needs of all-powerful political leaders.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 June 2026
Harvesting Watermelons After months of growing and tending to your watermelon plants, harvest time is always exciting!
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
There’s a lot of tending required.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 2 June 2026
Further conversations with master gardeners tending the CAP garden plot revealed some positive changes in the soil’s health, particularly in terms of microbial activity.
—Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Trump also posted an an image that appeared to depict himself as Jesus Christ tending to a sick man.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Moving materials between workstations, restocking inventory in busy warehouses, tending machines built for human interaction, and conducting inspections in dangerous and confined spaces aren’t glamorous use cases.
—Robert Ambrose, Fortune, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tending
Adjective
-
Shading plants from the hot afternoon sun can be an option in areas prone to high heat.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
Those with dry, congestion-prone skin should avoid it, as thick overnight layers can quickly convert from soothing to suffocating.—
Tatiana Dias,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Giles is struggling with the fact that the resurrected Buffy is leaning too much on him instead of finding her new path.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
-
Thin ties dropped from the neckline of the bohemian-leaning silhouette, giving the dress a slightly undone finish against the high-shine black heels.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Instead of acting as intermediaries, humans focus on defining policies, supervising system behavior and handling exceptions.—
Krupesh Bhat,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The defendant, 36, who has not been publicly identified, is accused of assaulting children while supervising them in bathrooms, during lunch breaks and in after-school care between August 2024 and April 2025.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The same crowd booed when council members mentioned the growing popularity of artificial intelligence.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 8,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
-
Japan has long been battling a growing bear problem with deadly attacks reached record levels last fall.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Lured by the promise of well-paying jobs, hundreds of thousands of people like them have been coerced into engaging in scams such as posing as women online, cultivating intimate relationships with foreigners to defraud them of their savings.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
-
Historians believe ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia were cultivating dates as early as 6,000 to 8,000 years ago.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The strategy is being driven by the conviction that the future of AI belongs to autonomous agents capable of executing complex, multi-step tasks — such as booking travel or managing calendars — rather than simply answering queries.—
Amedeo Goria,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
-
Appearing on Fox News, Lankford said the nation’s top intelligence post requires a leader with deep experience managing sensitive national security matters and suggested Pulte’s background raises legitimate questions.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Union-Tribune found those in attendance at Petco Park were more inclined to keep the faith than throw in the towel.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds that companies are less inclined to hire young college graduates into roles that can be done remotely.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Some of those same fans were present Monday evening, watching the national team through gaps in the outer fence around Rock Chalk Park or holding their phones above the fence to take pictures and video.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
-
Boxed out of the free watch party at Bryant Park that some attendees said sold out in one minute, a handful of fans are watching together on a tablet.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tending. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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