fend off

phrasal verb

fended off; fending off; fends off

: to defend oneself against (someone or something)

They succeeded in fending off the attack/attackers.

They have had to fend off allegations of voter fraud.

Examples of fend off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Moore fended off challenges from Republican Tim Rogers and Independent Robert R. Raymond, both of whom have lost to her before. —

Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024 Meanwhile in House District 62, representing Bloomington, incumbent Republican state Rep. Dave Hall is narrowly fending off Democrat Thomas Horrocks by about 3 percentage points with three quarters of the votes counted. —

Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024 In the 9th Congressional District, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D), the longest-serving woman in congressional history, is fending off a challenge from Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin. —

Mike Lillis, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024 There's no Democrat in the race, technically, as Fischer is fending off a fierce challenge from independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn, a union leader. —

Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fend off