protecting 1 of 2

adjective

as in guarding

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

protecting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of protect
as in defending
to drive danger or attack away from the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of protecting
Verb
But these safeguards represent a substantial, continuing investment in protecting guests. — Dennis Speigel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026 The Nets had possession following a successful coach’s challenge, but Brown went for a layup rather than protecting the ball and making Boston foul. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026 Talking about death and inheritance is a way of protecting relationships, preserving dignity, and reducing uncertainty for those who will live with the consequences. — Christina Wing, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026 For Lange, places like Lynn Woods Reservation demonstrate why protecting natural resources deserves a dedicated source of funding. — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 But their crucial role as ecosystem engineers makes protecting them vital, said Greg Mueller, chief scientist emeritus at the Chicago Botanic Garden. — John Cannon, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Still, research like this hints at where oral health could be headed, moving away from simply protecting or replacing damaged tissue and toward materials designed to help rebuild tooth enamel instead. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026 That’s because the rocket aims for full reusability, with a novel upper stage thruster design and heat shield to solve the difficult problem of protecting a vehicle reentering at orbital velocity. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026 But sustaining a species’ recovery requires protecting the conditions – and supporting the people – that make their survival possible. — David Ginsburg, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protecting
  1. defending
  2. safeguarding
  3. guarding
  4. shielding
Verb
  • Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In a statement, BGE acknowledged the financial pressures customers are facing while defending its proposal.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of defending
Verb
  • On the other hand, automation can optimize the return on human capital if it is used to eliminate low-value tasks while safeguarding the organization’s long-term human innovative capacity.
    — Syed Ahmad, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The government pressured chipmakers to reprioritize order fulfillment, safeguarding the birthright of Americans to buy new trucks.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of safeguarding
Verb
  • Campbell ended up hitting the block of all blocks off the tee, with his ball entering what is a legitimate jungle guarding the right side of the fairway.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Thybulle, a 6-foot-5 wing, is a maestro guarding off the ball.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of guarding
Verb
  • In Flanagan‘s take, Margaret is fiercely committed to shielding Carrie from the world’s dangers and from her classmates’ cruelty, even becoming a parental advocate in their community and on social media.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Long decided to show Carl standing in a spotlight, wearing white boxers with red hearts, shielding Princess Donut.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of shielding

Browse Nearby Words

protected
protecting
protection
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Protecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protecting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All