tends 1 of 2

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of tend
as in leans
to show a liking or proneness (for something) her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics

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tends

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of tend
1
as in supervises
to take charge of especially on behalf of another tend the store while I run an errand

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2
as in grows
to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care lately I haven't been doing a good job of tending my garden

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3
as in cultivates
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens

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4
as in manages
to look after and make decisions about the dying patriarch wondered who would tend the family business after he was gone

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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 tends
Verb
Iga Świątek, last year’s women’s champion and a master of the slide, tends to avoid it on grass. — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 3 July 2026 Tech tends to be the culprit educators single out for plunging literacy rates, and rightfully so. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 1 July 2026 It’s also frequently lauded for its three-quarter frame construction, which tends to be more manageable for petite hikers. — Alison Syrett Cleary, InStyle, 2 July 2026 Reality tends to offer less stylish and cinematic ends for its protagonists. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 July 2026 While Mallorca led Spain's growth in recent years, the pace for 2026 has cooled, which tends to mean more room to negotiate. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Harteveldt said American tends to be the most aggressive with discounts out of the three largest airlines in the country, but lack of competition in Charlotte poses its own risks. — Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026 Contemporary production design rarely breaks through at the Oscars, where the branch tends to reward period grandeur and fantasy worldbuilding. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 June 2026 With programming that’s long been gloriously unclassifiable, the annual film event has also cultivated an audience and competition jury pool that tends to embrace the unexpected as enthusiastically as its programmers. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tends
  1. leans
  2. supervises
  3. grows
  4. cultivates
  5. manages
  6. watches
  7. produces
  8. plants
Verb
  • Espada seeks every late-game advantage and leans hard on his most dependable players to provide it.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • This look leans more subdued and boho with its all-black layers and accessories, but feel free to experiment with contrasting tones and more color for a bolder result.
    — Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of leans
Verb
  • Milshtein previously served as adviser to COGAT, which supervises civilian policy in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
  • As chief of patrol, Hein supervises the most visible aspects of the Police Department that define its image in the minds of most Chicagoans, including emergency response, crisis intervention, traffic control, routine patrol and community policing efforts.
    — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Definition of supervises
Verb
  • All the chairs are light enough to move around easily, as the group of guests grows and migrates.
    — Rory Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2026
  • The count of executive chairs grows slowly while the value concentrated in each one climbs.
    — Sue Mysko, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of grows
Verb
  • Contributing to victories — and a historic no-hitter in Arlington — cultivates confidence.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • What matters is transmitting some portion of your financial legacy in a manner that fosters and cultivates your most important values and hopes for the future.
    — Martin Shenkman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of cultivates
Verb
  • These advocates are also concerned about oversight, and say the facility represents a departure from how the government manages those children.
    — JACK BROOK, ABC News, 6 July 2026
  • The Makers Market is an organization separate from Santana Row that manages the application and permits of local vendors.
    — Fatima Corona, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of manages
Verb
  • As per the press release, a standard, low-cost USB camera watches the material.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
  • Someone pulls a trend report, watches a handful of viral videos, skims a research deck, maybe sits in on one focus group, and from that thin base builds a campaign meant to represent an entire community.
    — Sonia Thompson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of watches
Verb
  • The state’s Holocaust Education Bill, passed in 1994, requires every school district to teach the Holocaust with the explicit aim of building tolerance, nurturing democratic values, and confronting what indifference produces.
    — Masha Pearl, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • Scan your face, train your voice on a few prompts, write (or accept a brand’s) creative brief, and the content produces itself.
    — Reid Litman, Fortune, 5 July 2026
Definition of produces
Verb
  • The story follows one family who plants bulbs, seeds and seedlings to create a rainbow of blooming flowers.
    — Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • Space plants 12 inches apart and water at the base to prevent powdery mildew.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
Definition of plants

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Cite this Entry

“Tends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tends. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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