as in prone
having a tendency to be or act in a certain way
people tending toward daily exercise will significantly reduce their risk of cardiac arrest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in leaning
to show a liking or proneness (for something)
her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in supervising
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 growing
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
as in cultivating
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on
plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in managing
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of tending
Sam Rastogi,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
As long as the idea remains that property gets its purpose from those tending it, working it, nourishing it and dying on it, the film will never become a relic.
—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
Harvesting Watermelons After months of growing and tending to your watermelon plants, harvest time is always exciting!
—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
26 June 2026
Farmers are tending healthy crops, and water managers are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief after the critical drought earlier this year.
—
Aj Willingham,
AJC.com,
25 June 2026
There are so many reasons why tending to your mental health after a baby can feel nearly impossible.
—
Parents,
25 June 2026
She is seen bathing and tending to her daughter, Nala, similar to the way Cancer protects and cares for the people closest to them.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
With Chahin tending to his family, Zein could travel through France.
—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
23 June 2026
Not infrequently, a female jacana will kill another bird’s chicks, mate with the male who was tending them, and leave him to raise a new clutch.
—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Verb
To succeed, the strategic goal for the C-suite must be to stop tending to infrastructure and start focusing on the applications that drive real business outcomes.
—
Sam Rastogi,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
As long as the idea remains that property gets its purpose from those tending it, working it, nourishing it and dying on it, the film will never become a relic.
—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
Harvesting Watermelons After months of growing and tending to your watermelon plants, harvest time is always exciting!
—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
26 June 2026
Farmers are tending healthy crops, and water managers are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief after the critical drought earlier this year.
—
Aj Willingham,
AJC.com,
25 June 2026
There are so many reasons why tending to your mental health after a baby can feel nearly impossible.
—
Parents,
25 June 2026
She is seen bathing and tending to her daughter, Nala, similar to the way Cancer protects and cares for the people closest to them.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
With Chahin tending to his family, Zein could travel through France.
—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
23 June 2026
Not infrequently, a female jacana will kill another bird’s chicks, mate with the male who was tending them, and leave him to raise a new clutch.
—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tending
Adjective
-
People who are pregnant, prone to blood clots or have implanted medical devices should skip vibration plates entirely.
-
Both potatoes and cucumbers are prone to blight, which can ruin them if planted close together, says Bolles.
Verb
-
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its outlook last November for the contest from leaning Republican to a toss-up.
-
To be sure, center-leaning candidates won Democratic primaries on Tuesday in upstate New York and Utah.
Verb
-
Nadella is also supervising major changes in units such as Xbox and has become more hands-on with product development.
-
Army investigations have repeatedly pointed to the same factors contributing to fatal training incidents including sleep deprivation, inadequate training and inexperienced leaders supervising high-risk exercises.
Verb
-
The group, already one of the largest White supremacist organizations in the country, is quickly growing its membership, at a time when hate crimes are on the rise.
-
And each time another first-time climber reaches the top, the applause rising from the rocks below suggests that, little by little, that community is growing.
Verb
-
Leaders recognize the value of cultivating resilience from the inside, but building that culture isn’t a one-time initiative.
-
Hydrangea expert Mal Condon has been cultivating and studying hydrangeas for over 50 years.
Verb
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Portugal’s biggest warning sign came in their final clash, with Colombia managing 24 shots on goal — their most recorded in a World Cup game.
-
There’s less enthusiasm for FIFA’s role in managing the World Cup.
Adjective
-
But local governments, which amend their planning codes with unusual frequency, could easily nullify the provision if so inclined.
-
The court's liberal members seemed inclined to preserve the restrictions.
Verb
-
Among the celebrities watching from VIP boxes were Shakira and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham.
-
With a holiday weekend around the corner, most people are thinking about watching fireworks or sitting out on the beach.
Cite this Entry
“Tending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tending. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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