fend

/fɛnd/
verb
  1. To defend or protect yourself from something, especially by pushing it away or avoiding it.
    • She used her umbrella to fend off the aggressive dog.
    • He tried to fend off sleep by drinking coffee.
    • The knight raised his shield to fend the arrows.
  2. To manage or cope on your own without help (usually in the phrase 'fend for yourself').
    • The kittens were old enough to fend for themselves.
    • When the power went out, we had to fend for ourselves with candles and canned food.
    • After college, he had to learn to fend for himself.
Antonyms
What does "fend" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean