1
as in protects
to drive danger or attack away from
a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost
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2
as in justifies
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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Recent Examples of defends
The North American Aerospace Defense Command defends North American airspace 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 24 Dec. 2024
Notes • Against the Rockets, Walter was trying to play Dillon Brooks as physically as Brooks defends his opponents.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, Che defends Jay Z and Diddy!
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
This formula's acidic pH level defends against damage induced by hair coloring and heat styling tools.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Dec. 2024
The 13th National Guard Brigade defends a five-mile stretch of the front line around the town of Hlyboke, just south of the Ukraine-Russia border.
—David Axe, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
The 47th Mechanized Brigade defends a length of the front line just east of the village of Novoivanovka on the western side of the salient.
—David Axe, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
The two meet when Momo defends Okarun from some high school bullies, after which the two spark up a debate over their diametric views.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024
But Musk did not share the post attributed to him that defends those insurance companies.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defends
Verb
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An expensive proposition Experts say the UnitedHealthcare killing made clear that the security blanket that protects many top CEOs should be extended to their lieutenants.Matt Egan, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
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Finally, the Moisture Shield seals in the deep hydration and protects against environmental aggressors.Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This hypocrisy is rancid but irrelevant to those for whom the end justifies any means, including cold-blooded murder.Alan M. Dershowitz, New York Daily News, 22 Dec. 2024
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The question has to be asked whether Neuer justifies that sort of salary going forward.Manuel Veth, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The train station from which the event begins and ends maintains the look and charm of its 19th century origin.Maria Menounos, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024
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Already on pace to be a historic team on that end, Caruso’s mindset and leadership should ensure the Thunder maintains a top defense for the next half-decade.Nick Crain, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Universal healthcare insurance that is affordable or subsidized by the government needs to be considered in these countries, coupled with an infrastructure that supports preventive doctor visits to treat and address diabetes throughout the population.Omer Awan, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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Their work supports self-adaptive, multi-robot collaboration.Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near defends
Cite this Entry
“Defends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defends. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
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