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
Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Outfielder Alex Verdugo, who signed a minor league deal with the Padres late in spring training, is tending to a sore throwing shoulder at the Padres spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Its engagement is unevenly distributed, with high-profile programs and revenue-generating sports tending to receive little attention.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Later on that second hole, things turned comical when Garcia started carrying Rahm's bag while Rahm's caddie was tending to the bunker.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Its creation relied on a network of friends, family and neighbors—parents tending the front garden, friends painting walls and helping to build furniture, and the pub next door keeping spirits high during long days of preparation.
—Julie Lin, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
But tending to this climber is a practice in patience; the vine is slow to grow and can take several years before its characteristic flowers bloom.
—Claudia Guthrie, The Spruce, 9 Apr. 2026
No tending onions on the stove for this recipe.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
Back in present-day Gilead, this girl who used to live out loud and in color is in her all-white skirt suit, tending to the Aunts’ beehives and cleaning their rooms and serving them their breakfasts.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
Founded by a Christian abolitionist in 1855, Berea charges no tuition, and every student works a minimum of ten hours per week on campus, doing jobs such as tending the school’s farm, repairing bicycles at the bike shop, or making brooms in the college’s historic craft workshop.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Outfielder Alex Verdugo, who signed a minor league deal with the Padres late in spring training, is tending to a sore throwing shoulder at the Padres spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Its engagement is unevenly distributed, with high-profile programs and revenue-generating sports tending to receive little attention.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Later on that second hole, things turned comical when Garcia started carrying Rahm's bag while Rahm's caddie was tending to the bunker.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Its creation relied on a network of friends, family and neighbors—parents tending the front garden, friends painting walls and helping to build furniture, and the pub next door keeping spirits high during long days of preparation.
—Julie Lin, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
But tending to this climber is a practice in patience; the vine is slow to grow and can take several years before its characteristic flowers bloom.
—Claudia Guthrie, The Spruce, 9 Apr. 2026
No tending onions on the stove for this recipe.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
Back in present-day Gilead, this girl who used to live out loud and in color is in her all-white skirt suit, tending to the Aunts’ beehives and cleaning their rooms and serving them their breakfasts.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tending
Adjective
-
These Bagsmart Clear Toiletry Bags keep everything visible and TSA-compliant, with a sturdy plastic construction that doesn’t feel flimsy or prone to tearing.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
-
But while certain neighborhoods like the one in Utica remain prone to flooding, Macomb County Public Works officials tell a different story about the rest of the county.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, Ngatikaura did not seem inclined to accept the apology.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Growing these plants around the perimeter of your garden can make groundhogs less inclined to venture further into garden rows.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tending. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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