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
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fending off corruption allegations while Israel wages war in Gaza.
Between the lines: The MAGAverse draws parallels between those cases and the criminal prosecutions of Trump before his return to office.
—
Tal Axelrod, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
China has set its economic growth target for this year at roughly 5%, unchanged from last year, as the government pledged more fiscal resources to fend off deflationary pressures and offset the impact from US tariffs.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
Sharon is the first member of the coven to die after the first of the five trials; meanwhile, the rest of the coven fends off further danger, faces new challenges, and even adds a new member to their ranks, replacing poor Sharon almost immediately.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
The sister sneaked out the bedroom window with her two kids to seek refuge with a neighbor and call 911 while her brother was fending off their father, police said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fend off
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Tal Axelrod, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
China has set its economic growth target for this year at roughly 5%, unchanged from last year, as the government pledged more fiscal resources to fend off deflationary pressures and offset the impact from US tariffs.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
Sharon is the first member of the coven to die after the first of the five trials; meanwhile, the rest of the coven fends off further danger, faces new challenges, and even adds a new member to their ranks, replacing poor Sharon almost immediately.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
The sister sneaked out the bedroom window with her two kids to seek refuge with a neighbor and call 911 while her brother was fending off their father, police said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fend off
Cite this Entry
“Fend off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend%20off. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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