fend

[ fend ]

/ fɛnd /

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verb (used with object)

to ward off (often followed by off): to fend off blows.

to defend.

verb (used without object)

to resist or make defense: to fend against poverty.

to parry; fence.

to shift; provide: to fend for oneself.

OTHER WORDS FOR fend

5 manage, make out, get along.

See synonyms for fend on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of fend

1250–1300; Middle English fenden, aphetic variant of defenden to defend

OTHER WORDS FROM fend

un·fend·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use fend in a sentence

Research shows exercise can be a good way to fend off damage from junk food, notes Cassandra Lowe.
Warning! Junk foods can harm a teen’s brain|Sharon Oosthoek|November 19, 2020|Science News For Students
However, several members of Congress, including two engineers and a pediatrician, are projected to fend off Republican challengers.
All the ways the 2020 election has influenced science policy so far|Kate Baggaley|November 6, 2020|Popular-Science
Elaine Luria and Jennifer Wexton, have fended off Republican challengers to win a second term.
Spanberger declares victory over Freitas in Virginia as more absentee ballots are tallied|Meagan Flynn|November 5, 2020|Washington Post
The guard’s duty in this case was to fend off infection in the voting system by segregating the secretary of state’s network from the rest of the state, said Washington National Guard Adjutant General Gent Welsh.
U.S. says it’s prepared for cyber election threats. But weaknesses remain|Verne Kopytoff|November 2, 2020|Fortune

This classy five-panel protects from harsh winter sun and fends off flurries with burly waxed canvas.
The Best Hats of 2021|Maren Larsen|October 26, 2020|Outside Online
Joseph LaRocca says some companies are upping the ante in terms of fending off return fraudsters.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They ended up crawling for much of the journey, scaling electric fences and fending off wild animals in freezing conditions.
How ‘Titanic ’Helped This Brave Young Woman Escape North Korea’s Totalitarian State|Lizzie Crocker|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They also emboldened the Kurdish defenders, who are lightly armed and fending off heavy armor.
America’s WTF Air War in Syria|Jamie Dettmer|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reality-based community might have a difficult time fending off these two fronts of affront.
No, Stem Cells Don't Cause Autism|Kent Sepkowitz|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Kansas Governor should be cruising to re-election and fending off 2016 rumors.
Sam Brownback’s Kansas Catastrophe|Patricia Murphy|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One huge green fly flipped nimbly under the fending hand and lit on the peach.
The Escape of Mr. Trimm|Irvin S. Cobb
He smoked and was fragmentary for a time, fending off my questions; then his story began to piece itself together.
Tono Bungay|H. G. Wells
Philadelphus filliped the coin and flung out a strong and fending hand against his fellow covering it.
The City of Delight|Elizabeth Miller
Above all, the poor commons had earlier in the year shown unmistakable signs of fending for themselves.
The Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century|Richard Henry Tawney
He had crossed his arms over the lower part of his face, fending off Taylors fists with his elbows.
The Ranchman|Charles Alden Seltzer

British Dictionary definitions for fend

fend

/ (fɛnd) /

verb

(intr foll by for) to give support (to someone, esp oneself); provide (for)

(tr usually foll by off) to ward off or turn aside (blows, questions, attackers, etc)

(tr) archaic to defend or resist

(intr) Scot and Northern English dialect to struggle; strive

noun

Scot and Northern English dialect a shift or effort

Word Origin for fend

C13 fenden, shortened from defenden to defend

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

fend

OTHER WORDS FOR fend

Origin of fend

OTHER WORDS FROM fend

Words related to fend

How to use fend in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fend

Word Origin for fend