protected; protecting; protects
1
a
: to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction : guard
b
: defend sense 1c
protect the goal
2
: to maintain the status or integrity of especially through financial or legal guarantees: such as
a
: to save from contingent financial loss
b
: to foster or shield from infringement or restriction
salesmen with protected territories
protect one's rights
specifically
: to restrict competition for (something, such as a domestic industry) by means of tariffs or trade controls
3
: defend sense 5
protect a lead
: to provide a guard or shield
protects against tooth decay
protectively
adverb
protectiveness
noun
Examples of protect in a Sentence
He had no raincoat to protect himself from the rain.
She keeps her jewelry protected in a safe.
You have to protect your business against fraud.
New laws have been passed to protect your privacy.
The forest is protected by federal law.
The high taxes on imported goods are intended to protect domestic producers.
Sunscreen helps to protect against sunburn.
The insurance protects you against flooding.
The insurance does not protect against damage caused by earthquakes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Open for just 24 hours, starting April 24, the project is meant to humanize the harms of social media use among young children and call for governments and private companies to act urgently to protect online spaces for young users.
—
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
Smarter, Faster And Safer Solutions From speeding up transactions to protecting users from fraud, AI is becoming a driving force in financial services.
—Paul Marcantonio, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The mitts feature a long cuff to protect your arms from the heat.
—Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
But farmers trying to protect their sheep might have a different reaction to a wolf than a city dweller trying to photograph the predator for a post on Instagram.
—Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protect
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
Smarter, Faster And Safer Solutions From speeding up transactions to protecting users from fraud, AI is becoming a driving force in financial services.
—Paul Marcantonio, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The mitts feature a long cuff to protect your arms from the heat.
—Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
But farmers trying to protect their sheep might have a different reaction to a wolf than a city dweller trying to photograph the predator for a post on Instagram.
—Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protect
Cite this Entry
“Protect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protect. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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