Synonyms for defend
Most common
protect guard preserve safe-guard fight stand up for maintain
Definitions
- v. 1
To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard. To ward off attacks against (something or someone).
- v. 2
To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard. To ward off attacks from (something or someone).
- v. 3
To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
Related words
- Word family
- defendable defendant defender defense defensive
Forms
- Past participle
- defended
e.g. defended → protected, guarded, preserved, safe-guarded…
Choose the right word
Keep in the sense of guard or defend implies that the defense is effectual.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- protect We should tell children how to protect themselves.
- guard The security guard went back on his normal patrol.
- preserve Here are a few good rules on how to preserve food.
- fight Starting a fight with Tom wasn't such a good idea.
By length
- 4 letters
- keep1, hold1, ward1, fend1
- 5 letters
- fight1, cover2, guard1, fence1
- 6 letters
- answer2, screen1, secure2, excuse2, shield1, harbor2, oppose2, assert2, uphold2
- 7 letters
- support2, protect2, shelter2, warrant2, justify3, harbour2, fortify3, espouse2
- 8 letters
- maintain2, champion3, preserve2, advocate3
- 9 letters
- represent3, vindicate3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (cover2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- défendre
- Italiano
- difendere
- Español
- defender
- Deutsch
- beschützen
- Català
- defensar