Synonyms of tends

tends 1 of 2

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of tend

as in leans

to show a liking or proneness (for something)

her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leans
• trends
• inclines
• goes
• runs
• indicates
• suggests
• gravitates
• points

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoids
• shuns
• shies (from or away from)

tends

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of tend

1

as in supervises

to take charge of especially on behalf of another

tend the store while I run an errand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• supervises
• watches
• oversees
• manages
• attends
• operates
• protects
• looks after
• runs
• minds
• controls
• sees to
• cares (for)
• governs
• conducts
• guards
• superintends
• sees after
• guides
• directs
• takes care of
• regulates
• patrols
• shields
• presides (over)
• administrates
• babies
• mothers
• safeguards
• stewards
• shepherds
• babysits
• chaperones

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignores
• neglects
• forgets
• abandons
• passes over
• disregards

2

as in grows

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

• grows
• cultivates
• produces
• promotes
• plants
• crops
• raises
• cultures
• dresses
• rears
• propagates
• harvests
• breeds
• roots
• ripens
• gathers
• sows
• reaps
• quickens
• gleans
• germinates
• sprouts

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• kills
• picks
• pulls (up)
• plucks
• digs
• cuts
• uproots
• mows
• extirpates
• hays

3

as in cultivates

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

• cultivates
• plants
• farms
• harvests
• tills
• crops
• reaps
• harrows
• hoes
• sharecrops

4

as in manages

to look after and make decisions about

the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• manages
• operates
• supervises
• oversees
• regulates
• runs
• handles
• conducts
• controls
• governs
• directs
• keeps
• guides
• administers
• protects
• carries on
• leads
• overlooks
• watches over
• presides (over)
• superintends
• administrates
• steers
• watches
• stewards
• minds
• cares (for)
• pilots
• guards
• safeguards
• micromanages
• stage-manages
• comanages
• codirects

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tends

Verb

Oil prices tends to rise during times of heightened conflict or uncertainty, but are prone to wild swings on new developments and as traders try to profit from that volatility. — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

As the years go by, the hair shaft tends to thin out, resulting in strands that are more fragile, dull, and brittle. — Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 July 2026

Weakening the tools people depend on tends to produce more exposure. — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

The wingers available in preseason this time could spark better chemistry with the Sweden striker, while Havertz tends to act as a connector with most players who surround him. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Once borrowers reach that point, the focus tends to shift from simply making their payments to finding a way to reduce them as quickly as possible. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Informing your supporters that their problems are the result of a shadowy cabal of billionaire conspirators tends to unleash passions that can be difficult to control. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Avoiding conflict entirely, which Gottman calls stonewalling, tends to make things worse. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026

The post-villa financial path for Love Island USA winners tends to follow a similar, seemingly glamorous trajectory. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 July 2026