fended; fending; fends
1
: defend
2
: to keep or ward off : repel
—often used with off
fend off an invader
3
dialectal British
: to provide for : support
chiefly Scotland
: an effort or attempt especially for oneself
Examples of fend in a Sentence
Verb
learned to use humor to fend herself from criticism
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
An only child of negligent parents, Mihich identified with the Roald Dahl character Matilda, a precocious schoolgirl who learns to fend for herself against sometimes cruel adults.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Zach Edey finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds and Braden Smith made two free throws with 3.9 seconds left to help No. 3 Purdue fend off Maryland’s furious second-half charge for a 58-55 victory.
—Michael Marot, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fend
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Verb
Reports later revealed that the Turpin parents restricted the food their children could eat, left several of them in a home alone to fend for themselves, and imprisoned, beat, and strangled their kids.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
An only child of negligent parents, Mihich identified with the Roald Dahl character Matilda, a precocious schoolgirl who learns to fend for herself against sometimes cruel adults.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
But the thought of letting this poor kitten fend for itself was beyond comprehension.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Zach Edey finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds and Braden Smith made two free throws with 3.9 seconds left to help No. 3 Purdue fend off Maryland’s furious second-half charge for a 58-55 victory.
—Michael Marot, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fend
Cite this Entry
“Fend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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