defend
Verb
Verb Forms: defended, defending, defends
- To protect from attack or harm.
- argue or speak in defense of
- be on the defensive; act against an attack
- protect against a challenge or attack
- fight against or resist strongly
- protect or fight for as a champion
- be the defense counsel for someone in a trial
- "Ms. Smith will represent the defendant"
- state or assert
- To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.
- To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
- To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
- To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
- Mostly in tests. The action of not putting force into hitting a shot, but to conserve energy and wear down bowlers so they can attack later.
- To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous instance of that competition.
- To call a raise from the big blind.
- To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
- To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
- To prohibit, forbid.
Examples
- He needed to defend his lead by scoring big and denying his opponent opportunities.
- The teams strategy was to defend but score runs as well for the first 20 overs.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian.
Synonyms
champion, fend for, fight, fight back, fight down, guard, hold, maintain, oppose, represent, support, beshield, beward, brood, cape for, defend, fend, preserve, protect, safeguard, secure, shelter, shield, ward
Scrabble Score: 11
defend: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Worddefend: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
defend: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary