defended; defending; defends
1
a
: to drive danger or attack away from
defend the castle from invaders
b(1)
: to maintain or support in the face of argument or hostile criticism
defend a theory
couldn't defend their actions
(2)
: to prove (something, such as a doctoral thesis or dissertation) valid by answering questions in an oral exam
preparing to defend her thesis
c
sports
: to attempt to prevent an opponent from scoring at
elects to defend the south goal
3
: to act as attorney for
hired a lawyer to defend their son
4
5
: to retain or seek to retain (something, such as a title or position) against a challenge in a contest
they successfully defended their championship
1
: to take action against attack or challenge
the defending champion
2
sports
: to play or be on defense
playing deep to defend against a pass
3
card games
: to play against the high bidder
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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