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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Recent Examples of tending
Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
To give voice to Congolese citizens, Anderson spoke with figures ranging from rebel leaders to medical personnel, from a regional king to an elderly woman tending subsistence crops in a cemetery.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
What matters is tending to those who need help.
—Jacob Rousseau, The Providence Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Between school and sponsor commitments and other competitions, and tending to her thriving modeling career, Gu just hasn’t had time for big air.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
If Peterson had cramps in that second half against BYU, why wasn’t anyone tending to him?
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
That could look like doing physical labor at work, schlepping toddlers whose motivation to walk is shaky, or tending a backyard garden come spring.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
That the president remains fixated on this conspiracy theory, rather than tending to his job as the leader of the most powerful institution on the planet, should disturb anyone who wants America to remain a free and prosperous nation.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Describing what was a community effort, Lam said witnesses ran toward the van to prevent Blanco from fleeing while also tending to the victims.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
That Sunday afternoon, there were only a handful of gardeners tending their plots.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
To give voice to Congolese citizens, Anderson spoke with figures ranging from rebel leaders to medical personnel, from a regional king to an elderly woman tending subsistence crops in a cemetery.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
What matters is tending to those who need help.
—Jacob Rousseau, The Providence Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Between school and sponsor commitments and other competitions, and tending to her thriving modeling career, Gu just hasn’t had time for big air.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
If Peterson had cramps in that second half against BYU, why wasn’t anyone tending to him?
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
That could look like doing physical labor at work, schlepping toddlers whose motivation to walk is shaky, or tending a backyard garden come spring.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
That the president remains fixated on this conspiracy theory, rather than tending to his job as the leader of the most powerful institution on the planet, should disturb anyone who wants America to remain a free and prosperous nation.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Describing what was a community effort, Lam said witnesses ran toward the van to prevent Blanco from fleeing while also tending to the victims.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tending
Adjective
-
That’s when the group attempted its perilous journey back to civilization, in a blinding blizzard beneath towering, avalanche-prone slopes.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
While the location was in low-elevation terrain less prone to avalanche starts, it was exposed to avalanche runout from steeper slopes above.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Da Cunha Lewin is inclined to agree with the English writer Geoff Dyer, who thinks that writer’s block is a myth.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Everyone, to some extent, grades their romantic partner on a curve, and relationships in which partners are especially inclined to do this may be particularly strong.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tending. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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