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Looking for synonyms for "defend"? Browse alternatives ranked by relevance — sharper word choices for fiction, poetry, and copywriting.
(n)
A person who, or thing that, protects or watches over something.
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(v)
(transitive) To grasp or grip.
(transitive) To promote, advocate, or act as a champion for (a cause, etc.).
To keep up; to preserve; to uphold (a state, condition etc.).
(transitive) To help keep from falling.
(intransitive) To defend oneself by fighting.
(transitive) To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.
(transitive) To suppress (a feeling or emotion).
(transitive) To stand or act in the place of; to perform the duties, exercise the rights, or otherwise act on behalf of
To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against.
argue or speak in defense of
The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury.
(adj)
(chiefly sports) Pertaining to defense, as opposed to attack.
(ambitransitive) To keep safe; to defend; to guard; to prevent harm coming to.
Alternative spelling of self-defense. [The means of defending oneself from physical attack.]
The process of keeping (something or someone) safe.
The means of defending oneself from physical attack.
Someone who defends people or property.
Something that serves as a guard or protection; a defense.
Synonym of protection.
(of an argument, etc.) Capable of being justified.
Actions performed to keep some machine or system functioning or in service.
To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling
The act by which something is upheld.
(transitive) To advocate or urge on behalf of (something or someone); to attempt to popularize or sell by means of advertising or publicity.
(transitive) To create.
To help the progress of (something); to further.
(transitive) To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).
To position or be positioned physically:
To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
(transitive) To maintain, or keep in existence.
(intransitive) To take care of oneself; to take responsibility for one's own well-being.
(transitive, intransitive) To apply a force to (an object) such that it moves away from the person or thing applying the force.
To demand ownership of.
The act of arguing in favour of, or supporting someone or something.
(transitive) To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
(transitive) To express support or approval, especially officially or publicly; to give an endorsement.
A person who speaks in support of something, or someone; proponent
(ambitransitive, copulative) To present (an argument or a plea), especially in a legal case.
(transitive) To clear of an accusation, suspicion or criticism.
(intransitive) To make sure or certain of something (usually some future event or condition).
To block or fill (a passage) with obstacles or an obstacle.
(transitive) To get in the way of; to hinder.
(intransitive) To oppose; to refuse to accept.
(transitive) To make difficult to accomplish; to act as an obstacle; to frustrate.
(intransitive) To debate, disagree, or discuss opposing or differing viewpoints; to controvert; to wrangle.
(transitive) To provide an acceptable explanation for.
An act of representation.
To declare with assurance or plainly and strongly; to state positively.
(transitive) To drive back (an assailant, advancing force etc.).
British standard spelling of favor.
To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care.
To bring (someone) into the presence of (a person); to introduce formally.
(intransitive) To communicate with one's voice, to say words out loud.
To make safe; to relieve from apprehensions of, or exposure to, danger; to guard; to protect.
(transitive, figurative, modern usage) To accept, support, or take on as one’s own (an idea or a cause).
(ambitransitive) To protect, to defend.
(transitive) to cut off, as wool from sheep's tails, or horns from a cattle; to lop or clip off
(hypocoristic, slang) The vagina.
(personal) To provide a service (or, by extension, a product, especially food or drink).
To protect; to keep from harm or injury.
A lid.
Protection, defence.
To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).
(countable) Somewhere one can find protection.
(transitive) To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen.
(transitive) To prove (something) to be false or incorrect.
(transitive) To attack with harsh words or violent force (also figuratively).
To find fault (with something).
(intransitive) To be in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
Carrying out an attack.
(transitive) To criticise so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
(ambitransitive) To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist.
(transitive, law) To start criminal proceedings against.
To seize power from another, usually by illegitimate means.
(transitive) To enter by force, usually in order to conquer.
(figuratively) To weaken or work against; to hinder, sabotage.
(transitive) To reject the truth or validity of; to deny.
(transitive) To return land to a suitable condition for use.
(transitive) To be typical of.
assert again
(transitive) To assert that something is not true.
(transitive) To say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.
(transitive) To strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate.
(transitive) To verbally assault, especially to argue against an opinion, motive, or action; to question the truth or validity of; cast doubt on.
(transitive) To stand or meet facing, especially in competition, hostility or defiance; to come face to face with.
(transitive) To disembowel; to remove the viscera.
An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy.
(intransitive, construed with on) To go to law; to carry on a lawsuit.
(transitive) Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop.
(transitive) To deliberately take hold of; to grab or capture.
(transitive) To make ready for a specific future purpose; to set up; to assemble or equip; to forearm.
(transitive) To apply violent force to someone or something.