1
as in protects
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 justifies
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
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Recent Examples of defends
Based on Harper Lee's seminal novel, the movie casts Gregory Peck as lawyer Atticus Finch, who in Depression-era Alabama defends a Black man wrongly accused of raping a young white woman.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The administration defends its actions, including massive layoffs at government health agencies, as necessary to eliminate wasteful spending.
—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Cody Rhodes defends his WWE Championship against Gunther and Sami Zayn, with Rhodes favored to retain, potentially setting up a SummerSlam clash with CM Punk.
—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Cody Rhodes, who booked this match, defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther and Sami Zayn.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2026
Wine mogul David Trone is spending big in a comeback bid as wealthy incumbent April McClain Delaney aggressively defends her seat.
—
Erin Cox,
Washington Post,
23 June 2026
The district defends its conduct as legal and, last week, restored funding to the Black Student Achievement Plan.
—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
DiNapoli often defends his tenure by noting the pension is one of the best-funded in the country.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Formulated with skin-nourishing ingredients like vitamin C, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5, the serum reduces signs of aging and supports collagen production, evens your skin complexion, and defends against free radicals.
—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The administration defends its actions, including massive layoffs at government health agencies, as necessary to eliminate wasteful spending.
—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Cody Rhodes defends his WWE Championship against Gunther and Sami Zayn, with Rhodes favored to retain, potentially setting up a SummerSlam clash with CM Punk.
—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Cody Rhodes, who booked this match, defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther and Sami Zayn.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2026
Wine mogul David Trone is spending big in a comeback bid as wealthy incumbent April McClain Delaney aggressively defends her seat.
—
Erin Cox,
Washington Post,
23 June 2026
The district defends its conduct as legal and, last week, restored funding to the Black Student Achievement Plan.
—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
DiNapoli often defends his tenure by noting the pension is one of the best-funded in the country.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Formulated with skin-nourishing ingredients like vitamin C, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5, the serum reduces signs of aging and supports collagen production, evens your skin complexion, and defends against free radicals.
—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defends
Verb
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The roof’s steep metal surface not only protects the home from cold winds, but creates enough height for an additional sleeping loft.
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Colorado currently protects the right of transgender student-athletes to compete on school and collegiate sports teams that align with their gender identity.
Verb
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The good news is that the actual print quality largely justifies the inconvenience.
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Listing, pricing, shipping and storage all take time, so selling is worth it when the payoff justifies the work.
Verb
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Los Angeles stretches its NL West lead to 11 games and maintains MLB’s best record as Ohtani’s star power turns Sacramento’s nominal home crowd into a roaring Dodgers road show.
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The Athletic maintains full editorial independence.
Verb
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The ruling upholds laws in 30 states that allow at least some ballots to arrive after Election Day, including ballots from military voters and Americans who live overseas.
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The ruling upholds Illinois law, which allows mail-in ballots postmarked — or personally attested to — by Election Day to be counted up to two weeks afterward.
Verb
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Update a profile photo or choose one small habit that supports your body and mood.
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Tulloss said his organization supports creating a pathway to citizenship for the city’s undocumented immigrants.
Cite this Entry
“Defends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defends. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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