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
Feral populations spring up as result of these self-sustaining domestic animals fending for themselves.
—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Smith later found Cowan lying in a pool of blood and attempted to stop the bleeding while fending the dogs off, per PEOPLE reporting.
—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Sinner took their first meeting, overwhelming a streaky Jódar in the first set and fending him off for most of the second in a 6-2, 7-6(0) win Wednesday.
—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Those Shahed successes may accrue, at least in part, from the fact that the United States and Israel lack Ukraine’s long experience with fending them off.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Mar. 2026
Oklahoma City was fending without centers Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, but Williams — a third-string big good enough to start on at least a handful of teams — killed Denver with his spacing.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
We're stuck fending for ourselves.
—
Carolyn Gusoff,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Smith later found Cowan lying in a pool of blood and attempted to stop the bleeding while fending the dogs off, per PEOPLE reporting.
—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Sinner took their first meeting, overwhelming a streaky Jódar in the first set and fending him off for most of the second in a 6-2, 7-6(0) win Wednesday.
—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Those Shahed successes may accrue, at least in part, from the fact that the United States and Israel lack Ukraine’s long experience with fending them off.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Mar. 2026
Oklahoma City was fending without centers Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, but Williams — a third-string big good enough to start on at least a handful of teams — killed Denver with his spacing.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
We're stuck fending for ourselves.
—
Carolyn Gusoff,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fending
Verb
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On Wednesday, Mayor Mary Sheffield issued an executive order directing all departments and city employees to focus on protecting the public.
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Horror Remains a Safe Haven for Marginalized Storytellers For all the industry’s talk of protecting marginalized voices, two of the year’s most distinctive horror movies arrived with remarkably little fanfare.
Verb
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When Argentina picked Kansas City for its base camp, the defending World Cup champions chose to train at Sporting KC’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center and reside at the Origin Hotel.
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Key Background Republicans will be defending slim majorities in both chambers of Congress come November.
Verb
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Publicly, both players have been complimentary of one another, although Brooks didn’t hide his frustration on Monday when asked about guarding the two-time MVP.
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For the past few weeks, the Valkyries’ first-ever All-Star has been anchoring Golden State’s defense in critical moments, guarding opposing bigs and sacrificing offensive opportunities for the sake of scheme.
Verb
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On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Bayer’s Monsanto, the maker of the powerful weedkiller Roundup, shielding it from thousands of state lawsuits that allege the company failed to warn people the product could cause cancer.
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Tying the hands of mayors in perpetuity and shielding them from accountability for the scourge of guns is not how to respond to one mayor’s mistakes.
Verb
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While challenges like integration complexity exist, CC is a cornerstone for safe AI innovation, offering resilience against sophisticated threats and safeguarding privacy in the evolving digital landscape.
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Why is safeguarding the value of free speech so important to our democracy?
Cite this Entry
“Fending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fending. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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