tends 1 of 2

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

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tends

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of tend
1
2
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

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4

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 tends
Verb
And while the shoes’ combination of hypercritical foams and carbon fiber is primarily intended for race days, technology tends to trickle down to sneakers for everyday, recovery and tempo runs — creating a ripple effect across the marketplace. Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025 Sleep quality tends to decline as people get older, becoming lighter, interrupted, shorter in duration, and less restorative. Jennifer Klump, Verywell Health, 11 Nov. 2025 The Deep South, on the other hand, tends to prefer frozen pie crusts. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Nov. 2025 Midwest weather tends to be fickle, after all. John Tufts, IndyStar, 11 Nov. 2025 Reaction tends to be the same, Frank Adams says. Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 11 Nov. 2025 Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025 Byrne tends to favor movement that’s kinetic but a little crooked—the sorts of blunt gestures that, theoretically, anyone can do. Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025 Leadership and management literature tends to emphasize learning from failure, but senior executives also need to understand how to acknowledge and build on success. Harvard Business Review, 10 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tends. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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