fend for oneself

idiom

: to do things without help : to do basic activities by oneself
They had to fend for themselves while their mother was away.
He's been fending for himself since his wife died.

Dictionary Entries Near fend for oneself

Cite this Entry

“Fend for oneself.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend%20for%20oneself. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fend for oneself

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!