SHIELDS Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

shields 1 of 2

noun

plural of shield

as in defenses

means or method of defending the slightly built boy used his sharp wit as a shield against the school's bullies

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shields

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shield

as in protects

to drive danger or attack away from celebrities who are shielded by a cluster of bodyguards whenever they appear in public

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as in covers

to place a protective layer over she shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

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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 shields

Noun

Drops railway temperatures To prevent high-speed aerodynamic forces from ripping the heat shields off, researchers secured the magnetic strips with dual mechanical fasteners. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026 Protective, almost — which makes sense, as its stunning chandeliers are designed to look like the shields and spears of African Masai warriors. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026 Prop 42 shields the asset forms billionaires hold, like business interests and financial control, while Prop 40 is the measure that funds Medi-Cal, the program that pays for long-term care when middle-class savings run out. — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Ivan was married, with two children, and worked as the curator of a small museum that collected artifacts from the eastern highlands, like masks and shields. — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 These troops generally fought with swords and shields, using a method of warfare that involved rapid movement and raids. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 Ornamental shields and coats of arms are decorated with castles, crosses, lions, flags, and crowns. — Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026 The exemption shields bargained rules related to wages, hours and other working conditions from antitrust scrutiny. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Aug. 2026 According to a Universal website launched to address community concerns over the coaster, the park is already utilizing pea gravel to minimize ride vehicle sound, a more than 900-foot-long sound wall and two half-pipe shields to block sound. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026

Verb

The death penalty in the state has largely been tied up in litigation over an agreement related to the coronavirus pandemic that defense lawyers contend temporarily shields many death row residents from execution. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 Homeowners selling a primary residence who meet certain IRS conditions can qualify for a tax break, known as the Section 121 exclusion, that shields up to $250,000 of profits for single filers and $500,000 for married couples filing jointly. — Annie Nova,sarah Agostino,kelli Grant, Cfp®, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026 Banning corporate cross-border stablecoins shields Pretoria’s currency controls at the direct expense of corporate productivity. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Bert shields Stuart from Wil’s deadly fireball, which leads to a magic fight to the death between the two that destroys most of the comic book shop and ends with Wil’s demise. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026 The same can be said about Capricorn, since the sea god has tough armor that shields them from individuals who don’t hold their best interests. — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 While laminate has a protective coating that shields it from damage, using the wrong cleaning products will etch away at this top layer and dull its shine. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026 Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act shields these companies from legal responsibility for such content. — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 15 July 2026 Malware protection shields your devices from harmful sites, and automatic updates keep your defenses current. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shields

Noun

Last season, according to TruMedia, defenses were in nickel or dime packages — five or six defensive backs — on close to 70 percent of snaps.

— Daniel Popper, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Adversaries may soon be able to fly drones in coordinated swarms using AI, effectively overwhelming any defenses.

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

Definition of defenses

Noun

The incident, along with subsequent episodes disclosed by Anthropic and Meta, sparked an industry-wide push to slow development of frontier AI models to improve safeguards keeping autonomous agents under human control.

— Corbin Bolies, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
My daughter is what those statistics look like when government safeguards fail.

— Nicole Russell, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of safeguards

Verb

Nobody clings to each other more firmly, defends their relationship more fiercely, or dismisses the opinions of the internet more authentically than Brinity.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
His book with Daphna Renan vigorously defends majority rule against institutional impediments.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of defends

Noun

The Overton window for acceptable AI use in Hollywood continues to widen as Hollywood actors, television hosts, and influencers embrace cloning with protections and compensation.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Projects would also face limits on air pollution and requirements related to clean backup power, green building standards and worker protections.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of protections

Verb

Anthropic closely guards its training data sources, but music publishers think the court should require more transparency.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Liberty guards Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier are both looking forward to the opportunity to represent France during the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup tournament.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of guards

Noun

The walls are finished in shiplap, while wooden beams round out the space, giving it a subtly cottage-like appearance.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Families covered hospital walls with posters showing missing relatives, photographs and contact numbers in a desperate appeal for any clue that could bring them home.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of walls

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shielding

shields

shies

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“Shields.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shields. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shields

noun

verb

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