fended; fending; fends
1
: defend
2
: to keep or ward off : repel
—often used with off
fend off an invader
3
dialectal British
: to provide for : support
chiefly Scotland
: an effort or attempt especially for oneself
Synonyms
Examples of fend in a Sentence
Verb
learned to use humor to fend herself from criticism
Recent Examples on the Web
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2024
If not, the election workers are left to fend for themselves.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Michael Marot, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2023
At least in Colombia, work to breed more resistant varietals or to study how cacao plants in the wild fend off pathogens has been limited.
—Lindzi Wessel, Discover Magazine, 27 Sep. 2018
See all Example Sentences for fend 
Verb
However, they can also be planted out of the way and left to fend for themselves.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2024
If not, the election workers are left to fend for themselves.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Zach Edey finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds and Braden Smith made two free throws with 3.9 seconds left to help No. 3 Purdue fend off Maryland’s furious second-half charge for a 58-55 victory.
—Michael Marot, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2023
At least in Colombia, work to breed more resistant varietals or to study how cacao plants in the wild fend off pathogens has been limited.
—Lindzi Wessel, Discover Magazine, 27 Sep. 2018
See all Example Sentences for fend
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fend
Cite this Entry
“Fend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fend. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share