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Synonyms

defend

American

[dih-fend] / dɪˈfɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from oragainst ).

The sentry defended the gate against sudden attack.

Synonyms:

fortify, garrison, shield, screen, shelter

Antonyms:

attack
to maintain by argument, evidence, etc.; uphold.

She defended her claim successfully.

Synonyms:

vindicate
to contest (a legal charge, claim, etc.).
Law. to serve as attorney for (a defendant).

He has defended some of the most notorious criminals.
to support (an argument, theory, etc.) in the face of criticism; prove the validity of (a dissertation, thesis, or the like) by answering arguments and questions put by a committee of specialists.
Sports. to attempt to retain (a championship title, position, etc.), as in a competition against a challenger.

A fortuitous trade has landed him on the team defending the World Series championship.

verb (used without object)

Law. to enter or make a defense.
Sports. to prevent the opposing team from scoring.

She’s a freshman who already scores and defends like a professional.

defend British

/ dɪˈfɛnd /

verb

to protect (a person, place, etc) from harm or danger; ward off an attack on
(tr) to support in the face of criticism, esp by argument or evidence
to represent (a defendant) in court in a civil or criminal action
sport to guard or protect (oneself, one's goal, etc) against attack
(tr) to protect (a championship or title) against a challenge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Defend, guard, preserve, protect all mean to keep safe. To defend is to strive to keep safe by resisting attack: to defend one's country. To guard is to watch over in order to keep safe: to guard a camp. To preserve is to keep safe in the midst of danger, either in a single instance or continuously: to preserve a spirit of conciliation. To protect is to keep safe by interposing a shield or barrier: to protect books by means of heavy paper covers.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of defend

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English defenden, from Old French défendre, from Latin dēfendere “to ward off, repel,” from dē- de- + -fendere “to strike” ( see also bane ( def. ))

Explanation

Defend has different shades of meaning, but it always has the sense of protecting something — your ideas, for instance, or your title as world heavyweight champion. If you order the blood sausage and lamb when you're out to eat with your vegan friends, you may have to defend your eating habits, meaning speak up in support of your choices. Defend can also be something more concrete, like when you defend your property or your country. The lawyer who represents someone accused of a crime is there to defend the accused person — who is called the defendant — and to argue his case in court.

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Vocabulary lists containing defend

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

defend defends defended defending

"If you ask me what the text of the law says, I can tell you," says Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, assistant director of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which helps defend those accused of breaking it.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Snap, which makes Snapchat, will defend itself against the claims of both SJ and KDB.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

“We disagree with the claims and intend to defend this case fully,” Anthropic said in a statement.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

Ukraine has used them to defend against Russian attacks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

They would defend their homeland, but they would not go over the top and attack.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Justice Alito defends the chief from that criticism by reflecting on the ways in which both judging and umpiring require experience, study and perspicacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

The most recent tally from NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners, said there were 344 such prisoners in the country as of September 18.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Hansi Flick wants a team that defends high and passionately so he can shine.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

“The key issue is whether the law truly forbids us from pursuing democratic transition and whether it really defends the Communist Party’s perpetual rule,” Chow, who represented herself, said in her closing statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

In August, Vincent defends his art, his process, and takes Van Rappard to task for his judgmental nature.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Huang has defended the approach, arguing that frontier AI labs are the first generation of startups that need tens of billions of dollars to get started, not just millions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Jayawardhana defended the decades-old partnership between higher education institutions and Washington, which pours billions of dollars into research universities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

Confirming student competence in the AI era requires redesigned assessments, supervised demonstrations, oral exams and defended portfolios.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Thierry Henry has defended himself after criticism over the way he hosted Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Nature has defended itself from an unruly zero.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Navy that is largely succeeding in defending American interests in the Strait of Hormuz?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Tyce voiced her theory at breakfast, but turned her frustrations to Roxy, who felt Tyce had interrupted Duffy when defending herself.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

“Chiquita has complied with relevant requirements and worked closely with California regulators to design and develop a complex hazardous waste management program. We look forward to defending ourselves against the state’s unwarranted accusations.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

All told, the Brewers finished 11-2 in October, knocking off the red-hot San Diego Padres, the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Rays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Secret Service, which was already responsible for defending the government against fraud and counterfeiting.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023