as in defended
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as in safeguarded
to drive danger or attack away from
the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of protected
Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Isabella Rodriguez, Florida elections director at Citizens Defending Freedom, said religion is also a protected class.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Each guest room and suite has a unique layout and design, as is the case when transforming a historic and protected building into a hotel.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
On Friday, the zoo began moving several of its animals into protected areas of the Kendall-area attraction and kept warm with extra bedding hay, along with external heating sources like heat lamps, radiant heaters and heated floor pads.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
All the villas are secluded, surrounded by trees, well back from the main path and removed from the beach, so the lights don’t disorient the protected sea turtles.
—Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
By choosing a jurisdiction with strict privacy laws and tougher limits on photographing children, Clooney is effectively arbitraging legal regimes the way multinational corporations arbitrage tax codes—only here the protected asset is family life, not corporate profit.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
Massie posted a letter on Wednesday from an FBI whistleblower’s attorney, who raised concerns about the bureau allegedly moving to retaliate against his client for making a protected disclosure to Congress related to the case, prompting a response from Bongino.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Nov. 2025
Oregon lawmakers added gender identity as a protected class under state anti-discrimination law in 2021.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The front office is motivated to hold onto a first-round pick in this year’s draft that is top-eight protected.
—Mark Anderson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
He and eight others have been charged with violating civil rights laws by allegedly crossing a line from activity protected by the First Amendment to impeding others’ rights to practice their religious beliefs.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Protesting — whether picketing or participating in a boycott — is protected by the First Amendment.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2026
The code is protected by lipid coating, like a fat bubble.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Flower buds that form too early should be protected against cold.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
No person is protected from homelessness.
—Larry J. Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
In addition to the anxiety over Monday's ruling, Petit said, Haitians under protected status were living amid an uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in areas with large Haitian communities in South Florida.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Isabella Rodriguez, Florida elections director at Citizens Defending Freedom, said religion is also a protected class.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Each guest room and suite has a unique layout and design, as is the case when transforming a historic and protected building into a hotel.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
On Friday, the zoo began moving several of its animals into protected areas of the Kendall-area attraction and kept warm with extra bedding hay, along with external heating sources like heat lamps, radiant heaters and heated floor pads.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
All the villas are secluded, surrounded by trees, well back from the main path and removed from the beach, so the lights don’t disorient the protected sea turtles.
—Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
By choosing a jurisdiction with strict privacy laws and tougher limits on photographing children, Clooney is effectively arbitraging legal regimes the way multinational corporations arbitrage tax codes—only here the protected asset is family life, not corporate profit.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
Massie posted a letter on Wednesday from an FBI whistleblower’s attorney, who raised concerns about the bureau allegedly moving to retaliate against his client for making a protected disclosure to Congress related to the case, prompting a response from Bongino.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Nov. 2025
Oregon lawmakers added gender identity as a protected class under state anti-discrimination law in 2021.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
Mark Kelly’s military retiree status was important The Pentagon’s defense centered around the notion that its actions didn’t violate Kelly’s free speech rights because his speech wasn’t protected.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The front office is motivated to hold onto a first-round pick in this year’s draft that is top-eight protected.
—Mark Anderson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
He and eight others have been charged with violating civil rights laws by allegedly crossing a line from activity protected by the First Amendment to impeding others’ rights to practice their religious beliefs.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Protesting — whether picketing or participating in a boycott — is protected by the First Amendment.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2026
The code is protected by lipid coating, like a fat bubble.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Flower buds that form too early should be protected against cold.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
No person is protected from homelessness.
—Larry J. Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protected
Adjective
-
The preservation was so exceptional that the researchers could identify countershading patterns, indicating this armored dinosaur relied on camouflage despite its heavily defended appearance.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Nov. 2025
-
Private firefighting outfits defended companies, utilities, and ultrarich enclaves while other parts of the city burned.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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All those billion plus users need to upgrade to ensure their phones and data are safeguarded.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
But how can something so intangible be safeguarded?—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In a joint statement, survivors of Epstein have called the files incomplete and said that while the release is being framed as transparent, some of the documents reveal survivors’ names and identifying details, while alleged abusers and enablers remain shielded from public scrutiny.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
-
There was some cowering in seats, some shielded eyes and a general atmosphere of dread.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That project is for ITV and Deadline understands another drama for the commercial broadcaster is slated for production in 2026, but details of that thriller are being closely guarded.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
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Your warmth can melt guarded moments without crossing boundaries.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So, if you're overwhelmed by both secured and unsecured balances, prioritize the unsecured debts that are more flexible when negotiating forgiveness or settlements.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
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This means everything needs to be taken into consideration, from the use of entities to secured obligations and contractual governance.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The researchers say the method could lead to scalable platforms for adaptive materials used in soft robotics, secure communication, biomedical devices, and advanced manufacturing.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Some states’ Emergency Medicaid applications specifically ask for a patient’s immigration status — and still assure people that their information will be kept secure and out of the hands of immigration enforcement officials.—
Phil Galewitz,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protected. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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