Meaning and examples of the use of the word “Fend”

The word “fend” [fend] in English is a verb that means to defend oneself or to ward off an attack. It can be used on its own or as part of a phrasal verb. Grammatically, “fend” is used like a regular verb: Present simple: I/You/We/They fend, He/She/It fends. Past simple: fended. Let’s look at some examples of using the word “fend”:

To fend for oneself: To provide for oneself without assistance from others.

• “After moving out, he had to learn to fend for himself.”

To fend off: To ward off or prevent something or someone.

• “She managed to fend off the aggressive dog with a stick.”

In this article, we will examine in more detail the usage of phrases with “fend”, their meanings, and examples of how to use them.

Popular phrasal verbs with “Fend”

Fend off

• Meaning: To defend against something or someone.
• Meaning: Push an attacker away.
• Example: He used his walking stick to fend off the aggressive dog.

Fend for

• Meaning: To take care of oneself without outside help.
• Example: After moving to a new city, she had to fend for herself and find a job.

Fend against

• Meaning: To resist or defend against something.
• Example: The vaccine helps fend against certain types of illnesses.

Fend away

• Meaning: To push or keep something away.
• Example: He fended away the persistent flies while trying to eat his lunch.

Fend from

• Meaning: To protect or defend oneself from something.
• Example: She wore a hat and sunglasses to fend from the sun.

Fend out

• Meaning: To repel or keep something away.
• Example: The strong odor helped fend out mosquitoes during the camping trip.

Fend up

• Meaning: To manage or cope in a particular situation.
• Example: Despite the challenges, he fended up quite well during the tough times.

Fend about

• Meaning: To move around or wander while trying to manage or find something.
• Example: She fended about the kitchen looking for the missing ingredient.

Fend through

• Meaning: To navigate or make one’s way through something difficult.
• Example: She fended through the dense forest to reach the hidden waterfall.

Fend over

• Meaning: To protect or look after someone or something.
• Example: The mother bird fended over her young chicks from predators.

Examples using “Fend”

In general, the verb “fend” and phrases with it describe situations of defense, resistance, or struggling against something. Here are some examples of their use:

• She had to fend for her elderly parents after they became too ill to care for themselves.
• The security guards fended off the unruly protesters trying to force their way into the building.
• With no income, he struggled to fend about and put food on the table for his family.
• The employees had to fend through a lengthy restructuring process before the company stabilized.
• She fended over her little brother, protecting him from neighborhood bullies.

Phrases with “fend” are flexible and can be used in different contexts to describe coping, defending, or striving against a particular situation or challenge.