1
as in supervises
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 grows
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cultivates
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on
plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens
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4
as in manages
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 tends
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2026
But traffic tends to pick up in March, when the spring break travel season begins.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
But his resolution — which is not binding — is fairly unusual in its call for fasting, which, more than prayer alone, tends to prompt self-reflection, said Monks, who belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Ice tends to be weak when things are sticking out of it.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Dust tends to build up quickly, especially in rooms that get a lot of use.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Feb. 2026
But, for those looking for a slightly less intensive experience, the semi-serious murder party—which tends to take place, and to wrap up, during one dinner—has come roaring back in popularity.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
But while the Penny Lane tends to be longer, usually falling to at least the knee and often mid-calf, Jenner’s jacket crops at the waist.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2026
But traffic tends to pick up in March, when the spring break travel season begins.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
But his resolution — which is not binding — is fairly unusual in its call for fasting, which, more than prayer alone, tends to prompt self-reflection, said Monks, who belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Ice tends to be weak when things are sticking out of it.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Dust tends to build up quickly, especially in rooms that get a lot of use.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Feb. 2026
But, for those looking for a slightly less intensive experience, the semi-serious murder party—which tends to take place, and to wrap up, during one dinner—has come roaring back in popularity.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tends. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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