[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/fend/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [F](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/f/) / fend

# fend

verb (fend, fends, fended, fending); phrasal verbs fend for, fend off

«fend» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To fend for yourself is to look after yourself without help. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#m1)
2. To fend off someone or something is to push it away or defend yourself against it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#m2)
3. (rugby) A fend or hand-off is pushing away a tackler with your arm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#m3)

### In the lessons

Everyday life and stories: young animals learning to fend for themselves, fending off an attack, fending off questions. Phrases: fend for yourself, fend off.

### Examples

- Baby turtles must fend for themselves from the start. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#x1)
- When Mum was ill, we had to fend for ourselves at dinner time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#x2)
- The knight fended off the dragon with his shield. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#x3)
- She fended off the reporters' questions. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#x4)
- The goalkeeper fended off a hard shot. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#x5)
- Fox cubs learn to fend for themselves by autumn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#x6)
- The following morning, instead of one, three cows stood on the island, and they all ate seaweed and fended for themselves like the first one. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/#x7)

### Note

Almost always used as «fend for» or «fend off». Related: defend, fender (car bumper in the US; fireguard in the UK).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «fend» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fend/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«fend» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/fend.html) on Mova free.