tended 1 of 2

verb (1)

past tense of tend
as in leaned
to show a liking or proneness (for something) her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics

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tended

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of tend
1
as in watched
to take charge of especially on behalf of another tend the store while I run an errand

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2
as in grew
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden

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3
as in cultivated
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens

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4
as in managed
to look after and make decisions about the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone

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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 tended
Verb
Private insurers have tended to follow that lead, and many cover only a handful of visits, often after a person has developed a chronic condition. — Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026 In hip-hop and other genres, producers were using snippets of other people’s records; courts often ruled that this was a form of theft, although hip-hop fans tended to see it as righteous theft. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums are carefully cultivated and tended through summer to produce the tight, abundant domes of little flowers gardeners prize in autumn. — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026 Visitors are invited to travel across time and place to notice how societies around the world tended to weave similar, parallel myths. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 More broadly, Ohio cities tended to score better for parks and recreation than for residents' overall health, according to the report. — Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026 American cars certainly had their place, but the really astronomical numbers tended to belong to European racing machines. — New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026 Up to now, those accused of passing off a computer’s writing as their own have tended to either apologize or deny it. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 Twins manager Derek Shelton and an athletic trainer quickly tended to Buxton, who walked off the field under his own power after a brief delay. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tended
  1. leaned
  2. watched
  3. grew
  4. cultivated
  5. managed
  6. inclined
  7. supervised
  8. produced
Verb
  • The record leaned into self-reflection and self-preservation informed by a divorce, his introduction to fatherhood, and an exploration of his Mexican roots through his signature alternative R&B sound.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
  • My last submission was a speculative story that leaned more horror, which is a new style for me.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of leaned
Verb
  • Behind that enormous loss are families who watched savings disappear and people who trusted the wrong investment pitch.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Young readers who watched Wuthering Heights earlier this year and thought Margot Robbie’s bratty, lovestruck Cathy had to be the most difficult Cathy in literature are in for a rude awakening this fall.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of watched
Verb
  • In Washington Park, the original report that 10 people had been shot in the attack grew to 15 over the course of Sunday morning, as authorities connected the incident to people who had self-transported for medical treatment.
    — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Over the last four decades, American labor income grew 57% while capital income grew 136%, and the households on the wrong side of that gap are not there by choice.
    — Michael Faulkender, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of grew
Verb
  • Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums are carefully cultivated and tended through summer to produce the tight, abundant domes of little flowers gardeners prize in autumn.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Meaning that the blue weber agave used in its production was cultivated from farms that actively restore soil health and improve local ecosystems rather than just sustaining them.
    — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • The Cygnus International Space Station (ISS) resupply program, which is managed by Northrop Grumman.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Tanvir managed to run a fan using an unwieldy connection of power cords.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of managed
Verb
  • And neither side is inclined to move much this early in bargaining.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For the nostalgically inclined, the film’s domestic success reps a victory for old-fashioned family entertainment with old-fashioned family values.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of inclined
Verb
  • Weerasethakul supervised the 4K restorations, which include remastered and remixed audio and new key art for each film.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ferndale school officials say high school students gained experience through drone filming crews, race-day event management and supervised flight projects.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of supervised
Verb
  • The company says the model could use battery inlays produced at scale in France or Taiwan before downstream partners assemble them into cells, modules and packs closer to customers.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Joie de Vivre is produced by MeMo Films, the production company co-founded in 2010 by entrepreneur and fashion designer Gabriele Moratti and distributor and film producer Francesco Melzi d’Eril.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of produced

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Cite this Entry

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

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