fence 1 of 2

noun

ˈfen(t)s How to pronounce fence (audio)
Definition of fencenext
as in wall
a physical object that blocks the way the only way to prevent motorists from trying to use that unsafe bridge is to put a fence across the road leading to it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fence

2 of 2

verb

as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from had worked as a bodyguard, fencing a number of pop stars at big events

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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 fence
Noun
The council placed an ordinance on first reading to amend the municipal code regarding fence requirements. — Lynn Kutter, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026 Police say Labadie continues west on Telegraph near Calders and walked behind a Jet's Pizza, through a hole in the fence between the rear of the restaurant and an old Jim's Butcher Shop. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
Bernard Arnault, the CEO of French luxury goods company LVMH, walked through black security fencing to enter the event. — Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 Nowhere is this dynamic more evident than the Gaza Strip, which Israel fenced in during the 1990s and has blockaded since 2007, citing security concerns and the threat of militant attacks. — Drew Paul, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fence
  1. wall
  2. protect
  3. barricade
  4. defend
  5. barrier
  6. guard
  7. shield
  8. safeguard
Noun
  • The third suspect acknowledged receiving the paintings at his home and hiding them behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Simon took the campy photographs in the same Hilton hotel where Moore’s children awaited their mother, and the images make up what the wall text calls a MooreWrap cruise-collection look book.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of wall
Verb
  • Rowling has been staunchly critical of transgender rights activists, funding legal efforts to protect women’s rights and penning X/Twitter posts that are considered to be attacks by the trans community.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Go rebound the basketball, go protect the rim, be a big big for us.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of protect
Noun
  • On the Champs-Elysées, groups of protesters set up barricades, defying police bans on protest actions there.
    — Elina Baudier Kim, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Officers in riot gear clashed with youths who set up street barricades using burning trash bins.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of barricade
Verb
  • We grow practiced at defending art by describing its return on investment.
    — Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Andrés Zamora, Secuoya Studios’ director of global sales and distribution, said such deals underline the role distribution can play in financing projects, while also forcing producers to defend their position.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of defend
Noun
  • There is a flood of creator content available due to a low barrier to entry, and that is now being accelerated by generative AI tools.
    — William Daddi, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Sometimes, the biggest barrier between a patient and their treatment is not pharmacology.
    — Marcela Gottschald, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of barrier
Verb
  • When democratic activists demanded greater civil rights in the late nineteenth century, some yakuza came out to guard their rallies.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • It was announced on Saturday that Judkins and QB Deshaun Watson had been fined a cool $14,397, while guard Austin Barber, who also snuck a hit off of the invisible blunt, had to pony up $6,944.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of guard
Verb
  • In Flanagan‘s take, Margaret is fiercely committed to shielding Carrie from the world’s dangers and from her classmates’ cruelty, even becoming a parental advocate in their community and on social media.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The installation at the military’s oldest active test base would help shield critical defense operations from wider grid failures.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of shield
Verb
  • Huang wants a financing and creative setup that safeguards Yen’s voice and the film’s Taiwanese character.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Officials said one of the Coast Guard's missions is environmental protection, which includes safeguarding marine life.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of safeguard

Phrases Containing fence

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Cite this Entry

“Fence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fence. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fence

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fence

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