1
as in defense
means or method of defending
frequent hand washing is an oft-recommended ward against the spread of common germs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in custody
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something
gained the ward of his cousin upon the death of her parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from
vowed that he would take whatever measures were necessary to ward the nation's people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 ward
Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Late Shift follows a single staff member, named Floria and played by the extraordinary German actor Leonie Benesch, in a cancer ward for a tightly wound 90 minutes.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2026
Evan Drellich, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
To ward off negative publicity, sportsbooks trumpet their programs for responsible gaming.
—Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ward
Noun
Hopkins said Wednesday’s takeover started outside the Wrigley Building, in his ward, before moving across the river into the Loop.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Late Shift follows a single staff member, named Floria and played by the extraordinary German actor Leonie Benesch, in a cancer ward for a tightly wound 90 minutes.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
Baseball players held a 232-day strike to ward one off in 1994-95, and industry fears for another messy stoppage have grown over the last year.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
To ward off negative publicity, sportsbooks trumpet their programs for responsible gaming.
—Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ward
Noun
-
Earlier Monday, Turkey's defense ministry announced that the alliance's air defenses deployed in the eastern Mediterranean had, for a fourth time during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, intercepted an Iranian missile that had entered its airspace.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Those are just some of the ways in which the three elements have become critical for modern manufacturing, including for defense.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
McKnight filed for custody of Dominique and her sibling in 2020, The Charlotte Observer reported previously.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The family of Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, who died in US immigration custody in Adelanto last week, also attended Monday's news conference at the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To protect yourself, property owners can sign up for notifications about any new documents filed for their property in the city's Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS).—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Go to the Strait and just take it, protect it.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Others contend that legitimizing him erodes Democratic credibility on antisemitism and other issues, handing Republicans ammunition heading into the midterms.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the ammunition was purchased from co-conspirators by undercover officers, prosecutors said.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Colorado Hospital Association — which opposes the bill — says state laws require all hospitals to screen patients for discounted care, wait six months before garnishing wages, and provide 30 days' notice.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Staffers showed up to providers for in-person visits, sometimes checking more than once, and found no child care taking place, which led to immediate termination from the program.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At present, as America's military aggression and assault continue with full force, all our efforts and resources are devoted to defending Iran's very existence.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
During the 2002 World Cup, fans across Africa celebrated Senegal’s upset victory over defending champion France, its former colonizer, as a symbol of liberation.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The report released in February by the two Texas agencies details the state’s ongoing safeguards to prevent, stop and prosecute fraud and what is being done to clamp down on it further.—
Jess Huff,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The framework, which the administration wants Congress to codify, calls for online safeguards for children, less stringent permitting requirements to shield customers from spikes in utility bills, intellectual property rights protections and language to prevent censorship.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the fullness of time, Nancy had a Nest camera installed—one of those all-seeing eyes meant to guard the property and calm anxious nerves and provide real safety from intrusion.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Guard has separately launched a recruitment drive targeting youths, seeking children as young as 12 to guard security checkpoints, carry out patrols, tend to the wounded, and perform other supporting tasks.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ward. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
