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defends - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | defend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | protect |
| Synonyms: | avert, battle, bulwark, cherish, conserve, contend, cover, entrench, espouse, fend off, fight, fortify, foster, garrison, guard, hedge, hold, house, insure, maintain, mine, nourish, oppose, preserve, prevent, resist, retain, safeguard, save, screen, secure, shelter, shield, stave off, sustain, take in, uphold, war, watch, withstand, beat off, care for, fight for, guard against, hold at bay, keep safe, look after, panoply, provide sanctuary, repel danger, ward off, watch over |
| Antonyms: | abandon, attack, desert, leave, quit, relinquish, resign, surrender |
| Main Entry: | defend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | show support for |
| Synonyms: | advocate, aid, argue, assert, back, back up, befriend, champion, endorse, espouse, exculpate, exonerate, explain, go to bat for*, guarantee, justify, maintain, plead, rationalize, recommend, second, stonewall*, support, sustain, uphold, vindicate, warrant, apologize for, bear one out, come to defense of, cover for, prove a case, put in a good word, ride shotgun for, say in defense, speak up for, stand by, stand up for, stick up for, thump for |
| Antonyms: | deny, forsake, renounce |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | acknowledge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | verbally recognize authority |
| Synonyms: | accede, accept, acquiesce, agree, allow, approve, certify, defend, endorse, grant, own, ratify, recognize, support, uphold, yield, attest to, defer to, subscribe to, take an oath |
| Antonyms: | forswear, ignore, refuse, renounce, repudiate |
| Main Entry: | advocate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | support idea or cause publicly |
| Synonyms: | advance, advise, back, bless, bolster, boost*, build up, champion, countenance, defend, encourage, favor, further, go for, go to bat for*, justify, plug*, promote, propose, push, recommend, side, support, tout, uphold, urge, vindicate, argue for, be in corner, brace up, campaign for, get on bandwagon, give a leg up, give a lift, go with, hold with, plead for, plump for*, press for, ride shotgun for, root for, run interference for, say so, speak for, spread around, stump for |
| Antonyms: | assail, attack, criticize, impugn, oppose, protest |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | answer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reply, react |
| Synonyms: | acknowledge, argue, back talk, claim, comeback, contest, defend, deny, disprove, dispute, echo, explain, feedback, get back at*, parry, plead, rebut, refute, rejoin, remark, resolve, respond, retaliate, retort, return, sass*, say, settle, solve, squelch, top*, answer back, back at you, be in touch, counterclaim, field the question, get back to, give a snappy comeback, shoot back, talk back |
| Notes: | an answer is something said, written, or done in return; a reply is an answer that satisfies a detail in a question |
| Antonyms: | ask, question |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | argue |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | try to convince; present support |
| Synonyms: | appeal, assert, attest, claim, contend, controvert, defend, demonstrate, denote, display, elucidate, establish, evince, exhibit, explain, hold, imply, indicate, justify, maintain, manifest, persuade, plead, present, reason, show, suggest, testify, vindicate, warrant, witness, prevail upon, talk into |
| Antonyms: | agree, comply |
| Main Entry: | assert |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | insist, declare, maintain |
| Synonyms: | advance, affirm, allege, argue, asservate, attest, aver, avouch, avow, butt in*, cite, claim, contend, defend, horn in, justify, mouth off*, pop off*, predicate, press, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, put forward, say, shoot off one's mouth, shoot one's wad, stand up for, state, stress, swear, uphold, vindicate, warrant |
| Antonyms: | deny, reject |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | barricade |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | block, usually to protect |
| Synonyms: | bar, blockade, defend, fortify, obstruct, shut in |
| Antonyms: | allow, open |
| Main Entry: | champion |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | advocate, support |
| Synonyms: | back, battle, contend, defend, espouse, go to bat for*, patronize, promote, support, uphold, fight for, plead for, put in a good word for, ride shotgun for, side with, stand behind, stand up for, thump for |
| Antonyms: | oppose, be against |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | cherish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | care about deeply |
| Synonyms: | admire, adore, appreciate, clasp, coddle, comfort, cosset, cultivate, defend, dote on, embrace, encourage, enshrine, entertain, fancy, fondle, foster, guard, harbor, honor, hug, idolize, like, love, nourish, nurse, nurture, pet, preserve, prize, revere, reverence, safeguard, shelter, shield, support, sustain, treasure, value, venerate, worship, apprize, care for, cleave to, cling to, hold dear, hold in high esteem |
| Antonyms: | abandon, denounce, forsake, renounce, not care |
| Main Entry: | claim |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | demand, maintain property or right |
| Synonyms: | adduce, advance, allege, ask, assert, believe, call for, challenge, collect, declare, defend, exact, hit, hold, insist, justify, knock, need, pick up, pop the question*, postulate, pretend, profess, pronounce, require, requisition, solicit, take, uphold, vindicate, have dibs on something, hit up, hold out for, lay claim to, stake out |
| Antonyms: | deny, disclaim, question |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | contend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue |
| Synonyms: | affirm, allege, assert, aver, avow, blast, charge, claim, come at, cross, debate, defend, dictate, dispute, enjoin, gang up on, hold, insist, justify, lay into*, maintain, mix, prescribe, report, rip*, say, take on, tell, urge, vindicate, warrant, zap*, fly in face of, go at, have at*, have bone to pick, jump on, lace into, let have it, light into*, lock horns with, mix it up, put up argument, set to, sock it to one, stick it to |
| Antonyms: | cede, give in, surrender, give up |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | contest |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | fight |
| Synonyms: | attack, battle, brawl, break with, buck, compete, conflict, contend, cross, defend, duel, feud, gang up on, hassle, lay out, quarrel, repel, rival, row, rumpus, scrap, scuffle, sock*, strike, struggle, take on, tilt, traverse, vie, withstand, wrangle, altercate, fight over, knuckle with, lay a finger on, put on gloves, put up dukes, set to, square off |
| Antonyms: | agree |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | convoy |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | protect, escort |
| Synonyms: | accompany, attend, bear, bring, chaperon, companion, company, conduct, consort, defend, guard, pilot, safeguard, shepherd, shield, usher, watch |
| Antonyms: | ignore, neglect |
| Main Entry: | cover |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | protect, guard |
| Synonyms: | bulwark, defend, fend, house, reinforce, safeguard, screen, secure, shelter, shield, watch over |
| Antonyms: | abandon, disregard, forget, ignore, leave alone |
| Main Entry: | endorse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | support, authorize |
| Synonyms: | accredit, advocate, affirm, approve, attest, authenticate, back, back up*, bless, boost, certify, champion, commend, confirm, countenance, defend, favor, give a boost to, give green light, give one's word, give the go-ahead, give the nod, go along with, go to bat for*, go with, guarantee, lend one's name to, okay, praise, push, ratify, recommend, rubber-stamp, sanction, second, stand behind, stand up for*, stump for, subscribe to, sustain, underwrite, uphold, vouch for, warrant, witness |
| Antonyms: | censure, disapprove, oppose, protest, reject, repel, unauthorize |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | espouse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stand up for; support |
| Synonyms: | accept, adopt, advocate, approve, back, champion, defend, embrace, maintain, take on, take up, uphold, get into, go in for, stand behind* |
| Antonyms: | forsake, reject |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | excuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | forgive, absolve; justify |
| Synonyms: | acquit, alibi, appease, bear with, clear, condone, cover, defend, discharge, exculpate, exempt, exonerate, explain, extenuate, forgive, free, indulge, let off*, liberate, mitigate, overlook, pardon, pass over*, pretext, purge, rationalize, release, relieve, remit, reprieve, shrive, shrug off, spare, tolerate, vindicate, whitewash*, apologize for, dispense from, exempt from, give absolution, grant amnesty, let go, make allowances for, plead ignorance, take rap for, wink at* |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | fence |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | enclose or separate an area |
| Synonyms: | bound, cage, circumscribe, confine, coop, corral, defend, encircle, fortify, girdle, guard, hedge, hem, immure, pen, protect, rail, restrict, secure, surround, wall, mew, mure |
| Antonyms: | release, set free, uncoop |
| Main Entry: | go to bat for |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | show support for |
| Synonyms: | back up, defend, endorse, recommend, support, cover for, go to the wall for, stand behind, stand by, stand up for, stick up for |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
