1
as in protecting
to drive danger or attack away from
a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifying
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
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 defending
That means rejecting attempts to restrict voting access, defending safe and accessible election systems, and demanding that lawmakers champion pro-voter policies that expand access—like automatic voter registration and nationwide early voting.
—
Hannah Fried, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Its once press-shy board chair, Robyn Denholm, has been making the rounds over the past week, defending the up-to-$1 trillion pay package awarded to the billionaire CEO.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Each side sees itself as defending the nation from annihilation, and the other side not as a rival but as an enemy.
—Marly Berlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Shefali enjoys traveling, cooking, and defending her home state of Delaware.
—Shefali Kapadia, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And the matchup presents a head-to-head befitting the occasion as the reigning Dutch champion hosts the defending kings of Belgium's top flight.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Right now, as City attempt to establish their defensive foundations, Khusanov’s high-stakes defending is, oddly, their most reliable solution to a problem position.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Soliman was called to an asylum hearing in February, a month into the new administration, for a last shot at defending his eligibility.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Those included defending Novo's leadership in diabetes and obesity treatment, fostering a high performance culture and realigning the company's cost base and driving efficiencies.
—Karen Gilchrist,katrina Bishop, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Hannah Fried, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Its once press-shy board chair, Robyn Denholm, has been making the rounds over the past week, defending the up-to-$1 trillion pay package awarded to the billionaire CEO.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Each side sees itself as defending the nation from annihilation, and the other side not as a rival but as an enemy.
—Marly Berlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Shefali enjoys traveling, cooking, and defending her home state of Delaware.
—Shefali Kapadia, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
And the matchup presents a head-to-head befitting the occasion as the reigning Dutch champion hosts the defending kings of Belgium's top flight.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Right now, as City attempt to establish their defensive foundations, Khusanov’s high-stakes defending is, oddly, their most reliable solution to a problem position.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Soliman was called to an asylum hearing in February, a month into the new administration, for a last shot at defending his eligibility.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Those included defending Novo's leadership in diabetes and obesity treatment, fostering a high performance culture and realigning the company's cost base and driving efficiencies.
—Karen Gilchrist,katrina Bishop, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defending
Verb
-
To bridge the gap, a handful of states have enacted orders expanding and protecting access, issuing blanket prescriptions, executive orders and insurance coverage requirements.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
-
One of his causes was protecting Alaska’s Arctic Wildlife Refuge from oil interests.—
Steve Chagollan,
Variety,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Pentagon hasn't released information publicly justifying the destruction of the boat.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Bob felt that Clark Gilmer was 'justifying the harm' done to trans people in her comments about King.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
From tracking urban air quality to safeguarding water systems and observing wildlife in the planet’s most remote regions, reliable data is the cornerstone of sustainable action.—
Michael De Nil,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This kind of continuous monitoring is critical for developing and maintaining climate models.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
For many companies, the greatest challenge isn't significant changes themselves, but weathering several simultaneously while maintaining business as usual.—
James Manto,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The protective father also held his hands back, guarding his son while placing the back of his head on Jack’s stomach.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
-
On Tuesday, Charles hit 3-of-7 of her field goal attempts and hit all five of her free throws while taking on the assignment of guarding Storm sharpshooter Gabby Williams.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In other words, the leaders need to be the leaders while upholding the standards set forth by the coaching staff – a staff that had offseason turnover limited to one full-timer – while educating and guiding the younger players.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Earlier this year, Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts, who is also conservative, joined liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in a ruling upholding a lower court order that unfroze $2 billion in foreign aid.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sweet almond, cucumber, flaxseed, broccoli, rice bran, rose hip, and radish oils are all present to deliver high-impact antioxidant power, barrier-supporting omega fatty acids, and the healthy radiance of someone who gets their daily serving of greens.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In 1981, Redford established the Sundance Institute at the site aimed at supporting emerging filmmakers, screenwriters, and other artists outside the mainstream Hollywood system.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defending. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share