1
as in defenses
means or method of defending
frequent hand washing is an oft-recommended ward against the spread of common germs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in custodies
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 protects
to drive danger or attack away from
vowed that he would take whatever measures were necessary to ward the nation's people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wards
Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
In individual interviews, all seven council members and the mayor agree that their political wards will feel the after-effects of the federal crackdown for months, if not years to come.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Early voting for the 2026 Illinois primary expanded an additional 55 locations in Cook County Monday and opened across all 50 Chicago wards.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Ask for coupons and samples Manufacturers often lavish maternity wards with freebies, but the hospital staff is sometimes too busy to remember to dole them out.
—Deborah Skolnik, Parents, 1 Mar. 2026
When provided care, Black patients were assigned to inferior wards.
—Anita Moncrease, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2026
Carr watches over her furry wards like a proud mother.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Artificial gravity wards against the dangers of microgravity, including bone loss, muscle wasting, heart weakening, and eye destabilization.
—Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
Attempts by aldermen to ban video gambling machines from their wards were struck down by colleagues yesterday in a rare rebuke of the control council members have over vice and other issues in their neighborhoods.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
In individual interviews, all seven council members and the mayor agree that their political wards will feel the after-effects of the federal crackdown for months, if not years to come.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Early voting for the 2026 Illinois primary expanded an additional 55 locations in Cook County Monday and opened across all 50 Chicago wards.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Ask for coupons and samples Manufacturers often lavish maternity wards with freebies, but the hospital staff is sometimes too busy to remember to dole them out.
—Deborah Skolnik, Parents, 1 Mar. 2026
When provided care, Black patients were assigned to inferior wards.
—Anita Moncrease, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2026
Carr watches over her furry wards like a proud mother.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Artificial gravity wards against the dangers of microgravity, including bone loss, muscle wasting, heart weakening, and eye destabilization.
—Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wards
Noun
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The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 10 Ukrainian drones overnight around the compressor station in the Krasnodar region.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In 52 career regular-season games with the Bears, Brisker had 32 pass defenses, 7 sacks and four interceptions.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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State officials also cited a government code that protects names of superintendent applicants from public release.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Mar. 2026
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Ahead of a meeting in Brussels, the European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc's foreign ministers would discuss possibly extending a naval mission that protects ships in the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, without giving any details.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lawmakers and independent experts who spoke to NBC News raised alarm over the military’s use of such tools, calling for clear safeguards to ensure humans remain involved in life-or-death decisions on the battlefield.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
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Anthropic lost out on a $200 million Pentagon contract because its CEO refused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s demands to remove the Anthropic chatbot Claude’s internal safeguards against spying on Americans and against launching weapons without human oversight.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
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While state lawmakers have passed nearly 50 new laws aimed at improving youth mental health, Colorado Health Institute found 44% of kids who needed care last year didn't get it due to a lack of money or insurance.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Swain runs the offense, guards every position and is the one player who cannot afford to have a bad night at the office, lest the Horns will get blown out in most instances.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
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Miami guards Gal Raviv and Amarachi Kimpson each scored 20.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These babies were shields to protect a narcotics operation.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Privacy a priority Especially popular among mobile professionals, stick-on privacy shields for smartphones, tablets and laptops can prevent someone beside you (or behind you on an airplane) from seeing your display.—
Marc Saltzman,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the meantime, apply a smear of lotion to your hands to protect your skin and prepare a bowl of ice-cold water.—
Shagun Khare,
Martha Stewart,
16 Mar. 2026
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The fabric covering her front continued behind her like two mini trains, which Olandria waved with her hands, creating an almost wing-like shape.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Preckwinkle, a former history teacher, typically defends her record like the head of a classroom, emphasizing context, flipping through prepared statements, and often tersely making her case or deferring to deputies with expertise.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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But while the controversy has reignited debates about whether corridos glorify crime, JOP defends the tradition.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wards. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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