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
1
dialectal British
: to make an effort : struggle
2
a
: to try to get along without help : shift
had to fend for themselves
b
: to provide a livelihood
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
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 June 2026
When Sinner held a set point in the third set, Kecmanović produced extraordinary athleticism to fend him off at the net.
—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
But the thought of letting this poor kitten fend for itself was beyond comprehension.
—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fend
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Verb
However, Ali was able to fend Nation and Rich Swann off in a triple-threat match.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 June 2026
When Sinner held a set point in the third set, Kecmanović produced extraordinary athleticism to fend him off at the net.
—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
Noun
Other leaders may overreact or take a ‘fend for yourself’ approach.
—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
But the thought of letting this poor kitten fend for itself was beyond comprehension.
—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fend
Cite this Entry
“Fend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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