tended; tending; tends
2
: to move, direct, or develop one's course in a particular direction
cannot tell where society is tending
tended; tending; tends
1
: to pay attention : apply oneself
tend to your own affairs
tend to our correspondence
2
: to act as an attendant : serve
tended to his wife
3
archaic
: listen
4
obsolete
: await
1
2
: to stand by (something, such as a rope) in readiness to prevent mischance (such as fouling)
3
archaic
: to attend as a servant
Examples of tend in a Sentence
Verb (1)
her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics
Verb (2)
tend the store while I run an errand
lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden
plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens
the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
This atmospheric effect is why the rotation rate changes in an annual cycle, with the days when Earth rotates fastest tending to cluster in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, particularly July and August.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 31 July 2025
The gala dinner fundraiser for the fest’s philanthropic efforts is also an occasional harbinger of Oscar recognition and is held each year at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
TIFF Tribute Award honorees tend to have films in Toronto’s official lineup.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2025
As is the case with so many of Trump’s announcements, the details tend to drip out slowly and often change the narrative, sometimes from the White House and sometimes from the other country.
—Ken Roberts, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tend
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Verb
Where granite meets brush or grassy terrain — especially around the base of the dome and along the Echo Canyon Trail — snake activity tends to increase.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
This atmospheric effect is why the rotation rate changes in an annual cycle, with the days when Earth rotates fastest tending to cluster in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, particularly July and August.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 31 July 2025
The gala dinner fundraiser for the fest’s philanthropic efforts is also an occasional harbinger of Oscar recognition and is held each year at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
TIFF Tribute Award honorees tend to have films in Toronto’s official lineup.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2025
As is the case with so many of Trump’s announcements, the details tend to drip out slowly and often change the narrative, sometimes from the White House and sometimes from the other country.
—Ken Roberts, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tend
Cite this Entry
“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tend. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tend
1 of 2 verb1
: to pay attention
tend to business
2
a
: to take care of
b
: to help the growth or development of
tend the garden
3
: to have responsibility for as caretaker
tended sheep
4
: to manage the operation of or do the necessary work connected with
tend the fire
tend
2 of 2 verb1
: to move or turn in a certain direction
the road tends to the right
2
: to be likely
a person who tends to slouch
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