1
as in to watch
to take charge of especially on behalf of another
tend the store while I run an errand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grow
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care
lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about
the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tend
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
Age and cut: Younger animals tend to have lighter-colored meat, while some cuts (like the shoulder or loin) may naturally have more pigment and appear pink after cooking.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 July 2025
The right-hander is tough on lefties and throws a splitter the Tigers tend to like.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Many students who live on the north side take buses to schools on the city’s east and south side, where schools tend to be more crowded and roster sizes tended to be higher.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tend
Verb
Job growth tends to slow in the summer months and at the turn of some firms’ fiscal years, but the US labor market is also in the thick of a structural slog, with job gains overwhelmingly concentrated in a fraction of industries.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
Age and cut: Younger animals tend to have lighter-colored meat, while some cuts (like the shoulder or loin) may naturally have more pigment and appear pink after cooking.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 July 2025
The right-hander is tough on lefties and throws a splitter the Tigers tend to like.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Many students who live on the north side take buses to schools on the city’s east and south side, where schools tend to be more crowded and roster sizes tended to be higher.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tend
Cite this Entry
“Tend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tend. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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