defend

verb

di-ˈfend How to pronounce defend (audio)
Definition of defendnext
1
as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to justify
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections she will pigheadedly defend any claim regardless of all evidence to the contrary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word defend different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of defend are guard, protect, safeguard, and shield. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

When is guard a more appropriate choice than defend?

The meanings of guard and defend largely overlap; however, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

When would protect be a good substitute for defend?

The synonyms protect and defend are sometimes interchangeable, but protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

a hard hat to protect your head

When might safeguard be a better fit than defend?

Although the words safeguard and defend have much in common, safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Where would shield be a reasonable alternative to defend?

The words shield and defend are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

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 defend The department declined to defend the program in a lawsuit filed by Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions, an anti-affirmative action group. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025 Harding was the defending national champion. —Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2025 In those 15 seconds, later described by his teammates, Jones offered a defining line separating the end of 2024 and the onset of 2025 — and the onset of a journey statistically more improbable than defending a Super Bowl title. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025 Peskov on Friday also defended the joint military exercises that Russia is holding with Belarus this week, called Zapad-2025. —Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for defend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defend
  1. protect
  2. justify
  3. safeguard
  4. maintain
  5. guard
  6. uphold
Verb
  • With his back against the wall, Tony must draw on his tactical training to protect his family and survive a deadly showdown with a powerful crime syndicate.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Some Cosmists saw technology as destructive and transformative, while others believed its role should be to protect and preserve.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of protect
Verb
  • That explains why the two-perspective structure couldn’t be justified in an episode like this and exposes the weakness of the conceit in the first place.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The excitement may be justified, but so is the concern when regulatory structures fail to keep pace with demand.
    — Lindsay O'Neill, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of justify
Verb
  • This safeguards regulatory adherence while ensuring fair market competition between domestic and imported products.
    — Nish Acharya, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement Advertisement Yet, the decades-long effort to secure passage of the VRA offers pragmatic wisdom for safeguarding—and even extending—the gains enshrined by the law.
    — Time, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of safeguard
Verb
  • This means regularly assessing your thinking skills, consciously choosing when to engage versus delegate mental tasks, and maintaining practices that keep your mind sharp.
    — Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • When asked about the changing landscape of college athletics, Calipari said more regulations need to be put in place, including tougher restrictions on transfers and years that players are able to maintain eligibility.
    — Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of maintain
Verb
  • The result is an erosion of individual agency and a system that guards access rather than broadens it.
    — Anmol Verma, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • This conversation should always be open, hones, and not guarded or ashamed.
    — Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of guard
Verb
  • After a lengthy review, the call was upheld.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
  • In August, an appeals court upheld Chen’s original order.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of uphold

Browse Nearby Words

defects (from)
defend
defendable
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Cite this Entry

“Defend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defend. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of defend for Spanish Speakers

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