Synonyms of protect

protect

verb

prə-ˈtekt 

as in to defend

to drive danger or attack away from

the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of protect are defend, guard, safeguard, and shield. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," 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 is defend a more appropriate choice than protect?

The words defend and protect can be used in similar contexts, but defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

When is it sensible to use guard instead of protect?

In some situations, the words guard and protect are roughly equivalent. However, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

When can safeguard be used instead of protect?

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

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

When would shield be a good substitute for protect?

While in some cases nearly identical to protect, shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of protect

Second, crews will be working to protect the gains made on containment lines off of the McKinley Grove Road and will be actively watching for potential spot fires. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2025

An inspiring 60-second spot from Pampers features an array of wee tykes, all being comforted or protected by the popular Procter & Gamble diaper. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

The secretary also recently announced his intention to remodel the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, put into place in the 1980s to limit pharmaceutical companies’ exposure to lawsuits over vaccines’ health effects—and, by extension, to protect the stability of the nation’s vaccine supply. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025

Still, other states have taken steps to protect access to the procedure, including Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana and New York. —Brad Greenwood, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025