1
as in defense
means or method of defending
frequent hand washing is an oft-recommended ward against the spread of common germs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in custody
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something
gained the ward of his cousin upon the death of her parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from
vowed that he would take whatever measures were necessary to ward the nation's people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ward
Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
During the Twelve-Day War [of 2025], a missile hit inside the Evin prison at exactly a ward that I was once imprisoned in.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Laura Mallonee, Wired News, 12 Apr. 2025
To ward her off and save the town, Chuck has to find the key to her home - 825 Forest Road.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ward
Noun
The federal government has used Medicare funding as a cudgel to get hospitals to follow its priorities before, including as a way to force desegregation of wards in the program's early years.
—Verb
The six tips include shielding seedlings inside polycarbonate tubes, which ward against strong winds and hungry critters while mimicking the cooler conditions beneath tree canopies.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for ward
Noun
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But Denver’s defense seemed to stay home with Jokic and company early in the game.—
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McCuskey, who is leading his state's legal defense against the trans athlete after the athlete sued to block the state's law to keep biological males out of girls' sports, addressed the allegations at a news conference Monday.—
Noun
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Police have detained several people for questioning, but do not have a suspect in custody.—
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The driver was placed in custody and taken to an area hospital for evaluation.—
Verb
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For instance, installation of solar panels can be protected by federal law, but the HOAs can still regulate placement of the panels for aesthetics.—
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Yu says his early experiences led him to chase achievement as a way of protecting a younger version of himself.—
Noun
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As in previous crackdowns, security forces have responded with riot police, tear gas, and live ammunition.—
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Brian Spikes-Hopkins, 42, was charged with murder and being a five-time felon in possession of a gun and ammunition.—
Noun
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Summit speakers explored the current landscape of business and industry across health care, child care, education, manufacturing and development sectors, by discussing trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the region’s economy.—
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But even without a health plan, people will still need medical care.—
Verb
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In a matter of eight days, the Hornets (14-26) have gone from pummeling the defending champion in Oklahoma City to losing consecutive games at home to Toronto and Indiana in gut-wrenching fashion to recording the largest margin of victory on the road in franchise history by pounding Utah.—
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Electronic Frontier Foundation, which describes itself as a nonprofit that defends digital privacy, free speech and innovation, previously said the bill is too vague in defining what counts as negligence by a social media company and could result in broad censorship.—
Noun
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Advertisement Press freedom must be restored to enable journalists and news organizations to investigate our recent past and serve as a safeguard of transparency going forward.—
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This underscores gold's role as a safeguard against currency devaluation.—
Verb
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Oliver Contreras | Afp | Getty Images Before the meeting, Denmark announced plans on Wednesday to beef up its military presence in and around Greenland, saying the exercise activities could include guarding national infrastructure, deploying fighter aircraft and conducting naval operations.—
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Like so many of the players tasked with trying to guard him over his career, James shakes off the critics and haters.—
Cite this Entry
“Ward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ward. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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