protect
verb (used with object)
to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
have protected
-
present perfectof protect.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
What matters is whether rising rates begin to overwhelm the two forces that have protected stocks so far: earnings growth and low volatility in the bond market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Rogers would have protected those plaintiffs as well.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
For the past 91 years, courts have protected the independence of federal regulators by pointing to the case.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
The district has revamped policies several times since, but even in 2008, officials stumbled in the Rooney case by not following guidelines that should have protected students.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
It was frightening now to see the walls disappearing—the walls that could have protected them from whoever or whatever was marching toward them.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
