1
as in defense
means or method of defending
frequent hand washing is an oft-recommended ward against the spread of common germs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in custody
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something
gained the ward of his cousin upon the death of her parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from
vowed that he would take whatever measures were necessary to ward the nation's people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ward
Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
Like many cities across the state, Jacksonville (population about 29,000) has a City Council whose members are voted in through city-wide elections, with each of the 10 members representing one of the city's five wards.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2025
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Try candles or sprays scented with citronella, lemon, or vanilla to ward them off.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ward
Noun
Mugun works in an mpox isolation ward run by Doctors Without Borders, where patients stay as their painful lesions heal.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
Like many cities across the state, Jacksonville (population about 29,000) has a City Council whose members are voted in through city-wide elections, with each of the 10 members representing one of the city's five wards.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
To ward her off and save the town, Chuck has to find the key to her home - 825 Forest Road.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Try candles or sprays scented with citronella, lemon, or vanilla to ward them off.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ward
Noun
-
The Minnesota Vikings had the fifth-best scoring defense in the NFL last season, and star linebacker Blake Cashman was a big reason why.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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O’Connell and company could have had veteran center Ryan Kelly hold McCarthy’s hand against defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defense this spring.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The original wording suggesting that Soliman faced murder charges in Iraq had been included in the government’s successful argument for keeping him in custody.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Cruz, 60, was arrested via a private person's arrest and taken into custody, the spokesperson said.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Michôd says that Sweeney was initially tentative about Martin's involvement, wanting to protect her own creative space, but opened up upon realizing that Martin wasn't going to try and control her performance.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
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Sources close to Spence, who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, described him as an introvert to The Athletic in February.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Advertisement Protesters stormed the Parliament in Kathmandu, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and, according to human rights organization Amnesty International, live ammunition.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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The gunmen, who arrived at the junction in a vehicle carrying weapons, ammunition and a knife, shot at dozens of people waiting near buses in the area.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This number varies by age and location, but in the instance that private child care providers can receive $10,000 through the ESA program, that means the majority of tuition could be covered for families considering this option.—
Lina Ruiz
September 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
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Available in 9 different colors, the hanging organizer has four different zippered compartments roomy enough to hold full-size hair care products, brushes, combs, and more.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the way Herbert flashed early in his career, tossing seven touchdown passes and only one interception in a 2021 season sweep of the defending AFC champion Chiefs, had come to feel like a tease.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Responding to Joe Starnes, a Democratic congressman from Alabama, Flanagan proved to be a tough witness and defended the project as being a cure for American inactivity.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This approach reshapes how the model interprets risky content at its foundation, ensuring safeguards remain intact even when efficiency demands that layers be removed.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
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Red lights safeguard boundaries, ensuring no partner feels overridden.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The result is an erosion of individual agency and a system that guards access rather than broadens it.—
Anmol Verma,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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This conversation should always be open, hones, and not guarded or ashamed.—
Taylor Lane,
Flow Space,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ward. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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