1
as in protecting
to drive danger or attack away from
a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifying
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defending
Caneiro's two daughters also testified, defending their father.
—
Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Janarius Robinson was in Foxboro on Tuesday for a workout with the defending AFC champions, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Ryan, who is defending Millete alongside Liann Sabatini, did not concede during opening statements that Maya is dead.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
That was my strategy for defending myself from State Security.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
The Cowboys will have their latest bye week in 36 years, falling in Week 14, sandwiched between road games against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2026
Take, for instance, the defending champions in Oklahoma City.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
And that is beat the Presidents’ Trophy winner and defending Stanley Cup champion in successive rounds as an eighth-seeded team.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers were down 31 at halftime to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, after all.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Janarius Robinson was in Foxboro on Tuesday for a workout with the defending AFC champions, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Ryan, who is defending Millete alongside Liann Sabatini, did not concede during opening statements that Maya is dead.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
That was my strategy for defending myself from State Security.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
The Cowboys will have their latest bye week in 36 years, falling in Week 14, sandwiched between road games against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2026
Take, for instance, the defending champions in Oklahoma City.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
And that is beat the Presidents’ Trophy winner and defending Stanley Cup champion in successive rounds as an eighth-seeded team.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers were down 31 at halftime to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, after all.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defending
Verb
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According to Chinese media, the programs are intended to strengthen an ecological barrier protecting agricultural land across Xinjiang.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
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So leaders end up protecting themselves against the visible mistake and ignoring the invisible one.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Easily the riskiest entry of the year so far, this expensive — $200 million but who’s counting — Amazon MGM Studios gamble, powered by Ryan Gosling’s star turn as a lonely astronaut, has made $573 million globally, justifying its steep costs.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
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Quiet-luxury proponents would often speak of frequency of use and cost per wear in justifying a four-figure black wool sweater.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That broader lens is especially important as the IOC navigates complex issues such as safeguarding female competition categories and balancing athlete expression with Olympic neutrality.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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The fund is designed to back researchers’ immediate priorities while safeguarding long-term capital for future medical breakthroughs in children’s health.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Griswold's office is responsible for supervising Colorado's elections and maintaining the statewide file of voter registrations.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Kudos to the Exhale staff for maintaining the pristine atmosphere there.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Let conversation improve the work instead of guarding it too tightly.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
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The former South Carolina standout handled the ball well and showcased her ability to attack the rim when a slower defender was guarding her.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Schmon praises Cannes for upholding artistic excellence and the gains made so far by the fest’s programmers, but would like to see the festival engage more with organizations like hers.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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Standing up to British tyranny was not breaking the law, but upholding it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Other bills could lead to new relief for small businesses in the future, with lawmakers endorsing the creation of studies and working groups that will look at things like supporting artificial intelligence use by small businesses and tourism.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
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Legal departments also use it for contract review against standard terms, analyzing negotiation language, processing large document sets for relevant arguments, and supporting intellectual property monitoring.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defending. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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