SAFEGUARD Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'safeguard' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of safeguard are defend , guard , protect , and shield . While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger. // our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Q: When might 'defend' be a better fit than 'safeguard'?

While the synonyms defend and safeguard are close in meaning, defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack. // defend the country

Q: When is it sensible to use 'guard' instead of 'safeguard'?

Although the words guard and safeguard have much in common, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger. // White House entrances are well guarded

Q: When is 'protect' a more appropriate choice than 'safeguard'?

The words protect and safeguard are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Q: When could 'shield' be used to replace 'safeguard'?

The synonyms shield and safeguard are sometimes interchangeable, but shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack. // shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

safeguard 1 of 2

noun

ˈsāf-ˌgärd

Definition of safeguard next

as in protection

means or method of defending with these safeguards in place, no one should be able to break into our computers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in precaution

a measure taken to preclude loss or injury safeguards that were intended to assure our security, but not at the expense of our liberty

Synonyms & Similar Words

safeguard

2 of 2

verb

as in to protect

to drive danger or attack away from sheepdogs safeguard the flock from attacks by wolves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of safeguard are defend, guard, protect, and shield. While all these words mean "to keep secure from danger or against attack," safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

When might defend be a better fit than safeguard?

While the synonyms defend and safeguard are close in meaning, defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

When is it sensible to use guard instead of safeguard?

Although the words guard and safeguard have much in common, guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

When is protect a more appropriate choice than safeguard?

The words protect and safeguard are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 could shield be used to replace safeguard?

The synonyms shield and safeguard are sometimes interchangeable, but shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of safeguard

Noun

Supporters of the law, including groups such as the American Principles Project, view these restrictions as critical safeguards for children. —

Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Dec. 2024 The path forward lies in collaboration, transparency, and a commitment to enhancing consumer safeguards while embracing the economic and social benefits of this thriving industry. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Verb

From hospitals safeguarding patient records to creators protecting intellectual property, SuperFile offers something unprecedented: freedom. —

Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024 Had either Sinema or Manchin voted yes, the nominee would have likely passed 50-49 and given Democrats a majority on the agency tasked with safeguarding employees’ rights to organize until 2026. —

Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for safeguard

Recent Examples of Synonyms for safeguard

Noun

Recommendations include scaling back protection for foreign leaders during peak election season and exploring the possibility of moving the agency out of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The two countries approved a new trade deal with Canada, known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), that even some free-market advocates saw as an improvement on its predecessor NAFTA due to its enhanced protections for intellectual property and labor rights.

Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024