Synonyms of defend

defend

verb

di-ˈfend 

1

as in to protect

to drive danger or attack away from

a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protect
• safeguard
• guard
• shield
• fend
• keep
• secure
• fence
• prevent
• save
• ward
• preserve
• bulwark
• cover
• oppose
• conserve
• stand up for
• screen
• resist
• forfend
• withstand
• fight
• war
• avert
• contend
• picket
• battle
• buffer
• wall
• palisade

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attack
• assault
• assail
• submit
• overrun
• beset
• bombard
• cave
• yield
• storm
• besiege
• capitulate

2

as in to justify

to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections

she will pigheadedly defend any claim regardless of all evidence to the contrary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• justify
• maintain
• uphold
• support
• advocate
• assert
• affirm
• proclaim
• discuss
• stick up for
• stand up for
• vindicate
• confirm
• argue
• plead
• insist
• contend
• espouse
• claim
• champion
• emphasize
• protest
• profess
• state
• warrant
• debate
• aver
• underline
• avow
• underscore
• stress
• avouch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• withdraw
• abandon
• retract
• forsake
• take back
• reverse
• switch
• refute
• recant
• abjure
• rebut
• disprove
• controvert

Synonym Chooser

How is the word defend different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of defend are guard, protect, safeguard, and shield. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

When is guard a more appropriate choice than defend?

The meanings of guard and defend largely overlap; however, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

When would protect be a good substitute for defend?

The synonyms protect and defend are sometimes interchangeable, but protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

a hard hat to protect your head

When might safeguard be a better fit than defend?

Although the words safeguard and defend have much in common, safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Where would shield be a reasonable alternative to defend?

The words shield and defend are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defend

Google responded in December 2023, defending its actions. —Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Wu vowed when the lawsuit was filed that the city would defend its laws. —Connor Greene, Time, 8 Sep. 2025

The defending Big Sky champion Bobcats are trying to replace star quarterback Tommy Mellott after falling to North Dakota State last season in the FCS title game. —Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

That said, Jarmusch went on to explain that independent artists such as himself shouldn’t be the ones to have to defend such a relationship. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025