Synonyms of defending

defending

verb

present participle of defend

1

as in protecting

to drive danger or attack away from

a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protecting
• safeguarding
• guarding
• shielding
• securing
• keeping
• fending
• warding
• preventing
• saving
• fencing
• covering
• preserving
• opposing
• screening
• bulwarking
• forfending
• standing up for
• conserving
• resisting
• fighting
• withstanding
• contending
• averting
• warring
• battling
• picketing
• buffering
• walling
• palisading

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attacking
• assaulting
• assailing
• bombarding
• storming
• submitting
• besieging
• overrunning
• besetting
• yielding
• caving
• capitulating

2

as in justifying

to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections

she will pigheadedly defend any claim regardless of all evidence to the contrary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• justifying
• maintaining
• upholding
• supporting
• advocating
• asserting
• affirming
• proclaiming
• championing
• discussing
• arguing
• confirming
• vindicating
• insisting
• sticking up for
• claiming
• protesting
• standing up for
• stating
• espousing
• contending
• pleading
• emphasizing
• debating
• professing
• averring
• warranting
• stressing
• underscoring
• underlining
• avowing
• avouching

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• withdrawing
• abandoning
• forsaking
• retracting
• reversing
• switching
• taking back
• refuting
• recanting
• abjuring
• rebutting
• disproving
• controverting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defending

Over the years, the town was a major post for government forces defending Taiz. — Ahmed Al-Haj, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Much of the discussion surrounding this week’s game centers around how the Georgia defense will go about defending Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell. — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Now Trump’s folks are rounding up and deporting people who were jailed in their home country for the sin of defending democracy. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Messi just fell short of winning back-to-back World Cups when defending champion Argentina was beaten by Spain 1-0 in the final in July in New Jersey. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Washington beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-31 last Sunday, as backup quarterback Marcus Mariota looked quite comfortable against the defending Super Bowl champions’ stout defense. — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2026

The Seahawks receive surprisingly little attention for a defending Super Bowl champion. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

And Washington is demanding Europeans carry more of the burden of defending their continent and helping Ukraine. — Josh Rogin, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026

Republicans can lose no more than three seats this cycle and are defending more than half a dozen in battleground states. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026