DEFENDING Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

defending

verb

present participle of defend

as in protecting

to drive danger or attack away from a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in justifying

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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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 defending Hochul has made that argument in defending New York’s law, saying local officers should remain focused on investigating crimes rather than using state and local resources to perform ICE’s work. — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 But by defending in this way, Chelsea are giving smart opponents the advantage in the battle for possession. — Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Instead of defending a media plan against a vague feeling that things aren't working, the agency becomes the party diagnosing a real, fixable operational gap. — Mitchell Leiman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Guam defense adds strategic role IFPC Inc 2 has a broader role in the Army’s plans for defending against evolving aerial threats. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 But Larson is the defending series champ, arguably the best driver in the field and races for the team (Hendrick Motorsports) with more wins and titles than anyone. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 Zach Woods is defending Mark Ruffalo with a tongue-in-cheek story on Instagram amid charges of antisemitism being made about the Marvel actor. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026 Clark, a second-round draft pick by the defending Super Bowl champions, was injured on Seattle’s first defensive snap in a 19-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026 The Royals on Tuesday will open a three-game series against the defending American League champion Blue Jays in Toronto. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defending

Verb

The new mRNA flu vaccine is also an option, as it was found in one study to be 27% more effective at protecting against illnesses in older adults than a standard shot.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Commanders at military bases and personnel protecting critical infrastructure often do not have the legal authority to destroy or degrade drones that illegally fly into their airspace.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of protecting

Verb

That is why parents, and moms in particular, who historically have taken on most of the child care work and labor in the home—have trouble justifying rest.

— Parents, Parents, 28 Aug. 2026
Former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, an Assad loyalist who was vocally in support of the government's policies, was convicted of inciting violence and justifying murder.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of justifying

Verb

Those differing responses, paradoxically, hint at an underlying confluence of viewpoints – that safeguarding the growth and development of children and teenagers is not a one-and-done deal, left to individual court cases or settlements.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026
Organizations must extend hygiene to AI systems by securing training data, confirming model integrity, safeguarding prompts and outputs, preventing model poisoning and adversarial attacks, and controlling how AI accesses company data.

— Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of safeguarding

Verb

The few remaining workers maintaining the plant, however, received those benefits upon ratification.

— Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Icelandic voters rejected the measure amid widespread concern over maintaining control over fishing rights, a backbone of the country’s economy.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of maintaining

Verb

Switzerland imagines Highsmith as a recluse in the Alps, closely guarding a cache of weapons and secrets after a lifetime spent writing mysteries.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
For weeks, migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta had gathered on a beach away from the city center, sleeping on cardboard sheets, under reed huts and guarding their few possessions in tattered plastic bags.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of guarding

Verb

God has created and knows only the spiritual universe, in which divine law reigns and rules, upholding all that is good and true.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
Banchi Hanuse works across film and radio as a co-founder of Nuxalk Radio, supporting Nuxalk language revitalization, upholding Nuxalk Nationhood and advocating for stewardship of Nuxalk homelands.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of upholding

Verb

The Moon trines your ruler Mercury in your sign, supporting careful edits, useful explanations, and conversations that stay on track.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Sep. 2026
In a declaration supporting their complaint, Becker noted that California is mulling a bill, SB 813, that would establish a process where independent organizations would set baselines for AI safety standards.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of supporting

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“Defending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defending. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of defending

verb

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