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.

Police said officers were warding off protesters who tried to break into the finance ministry.

From Reuters • Aug. 21, 2023

Plenty of people strolled by, but most were warding off cabin fever, he said, not looking to splash cash on a gold brooch.

From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2020

“Margaret offered only the most cursory of nods, almost as though she were warding off a fly,” said Brown.

From Fox News • Oct. 3, 2018

But Disney's executives deny smugness as if they were warding off an evil spell.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was an answer to the question, but it came out as though he were warding off a nightmare or a blow, as though even the idea was an assault, and he couldn’t bear it.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor