WARDS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

wards 1 of 2

noun

plural of ward

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

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

wards

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ward

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

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 wards

Noun

In participatory budgeting, several wards, as well as the Chicago Park District, set aside portions of discretionary funds for projects endorsed by residents. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 Scenes with the ward’s young women are where the film truly excels, undeniably a result of Khan and Le Querec’s months-long immersion inside real-life psychiatric wards. — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026 That has changed quietly, with robots now performing important roles in operating rooms, hospital wards, rehabilitation centers, and corridors around the world. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 Nurses are fainting on the wards, children are flopping onto their desks at school. — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Hospitals are also closing labor and maternity wards — nearly 60 wards have closed since 2012, according to CalMatters. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 And more than 500 hospitals closed maternity wards between 2010 and 2022, according to a study published in the medical research journal JAMA. — Kristin Wright, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 That applies to organisations such as cafes, leisure centres, gyms and hairdressers, as well as public toilets, local sports clubs with at least 25 members, hospital wards, domestic violence shelters and rape-crisis shelters. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 6 Aug. 2026 Held the first Tuesday each August, this year’s celebration in Aurora included block parties and gatherings of police, fire and emergency vehicles at 24 different community events across all of the city’s 10 wards. — David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wards

Noun

The tight ends can get back to blurring the run and the pass, with Stafford at the controls and Kyren Williams and Corum wearing defenses down between the tackles.

— Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Maye ranked 32nd of 33 quarterbacks in Expected Points Added (EPA) against Cover 6 defenses last year.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of defenses

Noun

The background of the film is the budget slashes that are happening in this sector all over the Western world, as the government withdraws its own form of care.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
As the trend scales, expect a wave of clinician response videos and possibly product warnings from foot-care brands.

— Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of care

Verb

William tells me Saint Michael is the angel that protects soldiers, police officers, and firefighters.

— Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
That approach protects young people and preserves access for adults who have already made the choice to move away from cigarettes.

— Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of protects

Noun

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican, also opposed Mamdani's attendance, though the two shook hands there Friday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican, also inveighed against Mamdani attending the remembrance, though the two shook hands there Friday.

— Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of hands

Verb

Anthropic closely guards its training data sources, but music publishers think the court should require more transparency.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Liberty guards Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier are both looking forward to the opportunity to represent France during the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup tournament.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of guards

Noun

Capsules commonly carry ablative shields made from materials designed to char and gradually wear away.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Additionally, the sprawling tropical flora throughout the island doubles as lush backdrop and hurricane protection that shields and roots the island against extreme weather conditions.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of shields

Noun

Using REITs to play AI While the hyperscalers are getting all the attention, another way to play the AI data center race is through real estate investment trusts.

— Michelle Fox, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
Irrevocable trusts generally can't be changed and are often used to protect assets, minimize estate taxes or manage more complex assets and family situations.

— Medora Lee, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026