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

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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

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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

Their bond deepens with the wry neuroses and gradually dropped defenses of many a midlife romantic comedy, though Parkinson’s complicates matters in unusual, empathetically explored ways.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Challenging down and distances, like a third-and-7, is when opposing defenses can bring extra rushers to get after the quarterback.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 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

SpaceX will use this imagery to study and potentially improve the heat shield, which protects Ship during its return trip through Earth's atmosphere.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Your patient leadership keeps friends aligned, and your careful math protects long-term goals, such as saving for training.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of protects

Noun

Anthropic warned that such real-world misuse could grow as AI models become more capable and called for AI companies and governments to work together on stronger safeguards and defenses.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington are scrambling to address calls for safeguards.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of safeguards

Noun

However, a process built around experimentation and human hands — which can only work so fast — becomes complicated as demand accelerates.

— Mary Wenthur, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Among other things, Noohu accused showrunner Ed Brubaker of rubbing his back and of making comments about running his hands through Noohu’s hair.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 18 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

Lucas and her attorneys with the Liberty Counsel, a conservative Christian legal organization, assert that her ownership of the property shields her from banishment.

— Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Among those shields is a whole tire from the landing gear from one of the planes that struck one of the towers and a portion of a steel beam, fashioned into a cross – both serving as a stark reminder of the attacks.

— Mark Morales, CNN Money, 10 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