as in protecting
to drive danger or attack away from
learned to use humor to fend herself from criticism
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fending
Those with mobility issues — many of whom were at nursing homes — were left fending for themselves or relying on a group of Pasadena Transit bus drivers.
—
Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 17 Jan. 2026
Unhoused and fending for herself After Frye graduated from high school, her mother packed up and moved with the rest of family to Orlando.
—Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
The original monster-fending crew work in newer ways to defend not only their hometown, Hawkins, Indiana, but the entire world as the Upside Down tries to break through, once again.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 28 Nov. 2025
The footage showcases William Franklyn-Mille in the role of Washington, fighting through intense battles in the French and Indian War and fending for himself in tense military meetings.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Fighting off predators, fending for food, and living in rugged terrain with harsh conditions – this was not a means of living for the weak.
—Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Lithuania is fending without Domantas Sabonis, Matas Buzelis, and Kasparas Jakucionas this summer, leaving Denver backup center Jonas Valanciunas as the centerpiece of the roster.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025
Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 17 Jan. 2026
Unhoused and fending for herself After Frye graduated from high school, her mother packed up and moved with the rest of family to Orlando.
—Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
The original monster-fending crew work in newer ways to defend not only their hometown, Hawkins, Indiana, but the entire world as the Upside Down tries to break through, once again.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 28 Nov. 2025
The footage showcases William Franklyn-Mille in the role of Washington, fighting through intense battles in the French and Indian War and fending for himself in tense military meetings.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Fighting off predators, fending for food, and living in rugged terrain with harsh conditions – this was not a means of living for the weak.
—Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Lithuania is fending without Domantas Sabonis, Matas Buzelis, and Kasparas Jakucionas this summer, leaving Denver backup center Jonas Valanciunas as the centerpiece of the roster.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fending
Verb
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Trump has instead argued for protecting existing owners who have watched the values of their homes climb.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Thune has been adamant about protecting the filibuster, which currently requires at least 60 senators to support bringing legislation to the Senate floor.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Lakers lost on Monday night to the Thunder, the defending NBA champions, who also have the best record in the league, and then had this back-to-back game against the tough Spurs.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Both coffee and tea contain bioactive ingredients such as polyphenols and caffeine, which may reduce inflammation and cellular damage while defending against cognitive decline.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mercury is in your sign, squaring breakthrough Uranus in your 4th House of Roots, challenging you to consider new ideas while guarding your foundations.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
But the Lakers need someone who can start halves guarding the point of attack.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The first woman and first African to head the IOC, the five-time Olympic swimmer has worked to return the Games to the competitors by shielding them from political divisions and stressing unity and respect.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Grassley said the Arctic Frost timeline, starting with the FBI under Thibault in 2022 and expanding under Smith, raises questions about how aggressively federal investigators pursued Republican lawmakers and organizations while shielding the process from oversight.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Marjorie Taylor Greene, Congress’s most articulate Republican advocate (really) for safeguarding the workforce from AI, has already resigned.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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Croke, who chairs the Illinois House’s Financial Institutions and Licensing Committee, is also listed as a treasurer and board member of Think Big America, an organization founded by Pritzker dedicated to safeguarding reproductive rights.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fending. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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