defended; defending; defends
1
a
: to drive danger or attack away from
defend the castle from invaders
b(1)
: to maintain or support in the face of argument or hostile criticism
defend a theory
couldn't defend their actions
(2)
: to prove (something, such as a doctoral thesis or dissertation) valid by answering questions in an oral exam
preparing to defend her thesis
c
sports
: to attempt to prevent an opponent from scoring at
elects to defend the south goal
3
: to act as attorney for
hired a lawyer to defend their son
4
5
: to retain or seek to retain (something, such as a title or position) against a challenge in a contest
they successfully defended their championship
1
: to take action against attack or challenge
the defending champion
2
sports
: to play or be on defense
playing deep to defend against a pass
3
card games
: to play against the high bidder
Examples of defend in a Sentence
The company must defend its own interests.
We believed it was a cause worth defending.
She defended her friend's behavior.
Stop defending him. What he did was wrong.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ukraine needs a constant pipeline of weapons from its allies to defend against Russian barrages of missiles and drones – often several hundred in one night.
—
Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
But Liberty, the two-time defending Open state champion, won't be intimidated by Hamilton's physicality and speed.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Dern defends takedowns at 25 percent, and her comfort level on the ground could be her downfall if Jandiroba gets on top of her every round.
—Brett Appley, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Just hours before the filing was submitted, Bovino defended his agency’s conduct in an interview with CBS News.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defend
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Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
But Liberty, the two-time defending Open state champion, won't be intimidated by Hamilton's physicality and speed.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Dern defends takedowns at 25 percent, and her comfort level on the ground could be her downfall if Jandiroba gets on top of her every round.
—Brett Appley, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Just hours before the filing was submitted, Bovino defended his agency’s conduct in an interview with CBS News.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defend
Cite this Entry
“Defend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defend. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
defend
transitive verb
de·fend
1
: to drive danger or attack away from
using a weapon to defend oneself
2
: to act as attorney for (a defendant)
appointed to defend the accused
3
: to deny or oppose the rights of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or claim)
intend to defend the case
1
: to take action against attack or challenge
not justified in striking first, but may defend
2
: to present a defense
may not thereafter defend on grounds of insanity—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.Love words? Need even more definitions?
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