| Main Entry: |
fend off
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep at bay |
| Synonyms: | avert, avoid, beat off, deflect, drive back, hold at bay, keep at a distance, keep at arm's length, keep off, parry, rebuff, rebuke, rebut, refuse, reject, repel, repulse, resist, snub, spurn, stave off, turn aside, ward off |
| Antonyms: | let in |
| Main Entry: | avoid |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | refrain or stay away from; prevent |
| Synonyms: | abstain, avert, bypass, circumlocute, circumvent, deflect, desist, ditch, divert, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, fake out, fend off, flee, give the slip, hide, hold off, jump, keep clear, lay low, obviate, recoil, run for cover, shake, shake and bake, shake off, shirk, shrink from, shuffle off, shun, shy, sidestep, skip out on, skip town, skip*, skirt, stay away, stay out, steer clear of, step aside, turn aside, ward off, weave, withdraw |
| Notes: | avert means 'prevent, turn away' and avoid means 'stay clear of, shun' |
| Antonyms: | face, meet, seek, want |
| Main Entry: | defend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | protect |
| Synonyms: | avert, battle, beat off, bulwark, care for, cherish, conserve, contend, cover, entrench, espouse, fend off, fight, fight for, fortify, foster, garrison, guard, guard against, hedge, hold, hold at bay, house, insure, keep safe, look after, maintain, mine, nourish, oppose, panoply, preserve, prevent, provide sanctuary, repel danger, resist, retain, safeguard, save, screen, secure, shelter, shield, stave off, sustain, take in, uphold, war, ward off, watch, watch over, withstand |
| Antonyms: | abandon, attack, desert, leave, quit, relinquish, resign, surrender |
| Main Entry: | dodge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | avoid |
| Synonyms: | circumlocute, dark, deceive, ditch, duck, elude, equivocate, escape, evade, fence, fend off, fudge, get around, get out of, give the slip, hedge, juke, lurch, malinger, move to the side, parry, pussyfoot, put the move on, shake, shake off, shift, shirk, short-circuit, shuffle, sidestep, skip out on, skirt, slide, slip, swerve, tergiversate, tergiverse, trick, turn aside, weasel |
| Antonyms: | confront, encounter, face, meet, stand up to |
| Main Entry: | evade |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | get away from |
| Synonyms: | avoid, baffle, balk, beat around bush, beg the question, bypass, cavil, circumvent, conceal, confuse, cop out, deceive, decline, dodge, double, duck, elude, equivocate, escape, eschew, fence, fend off, flee, fly, fudge, get around, give the runaround, hedge, hide, keep distance, lay low, lead on a merry chase, lie, parry, pass up, pretend, prevaricate, pussyfoot, put off, shift, shirk, shuck, shuffle, shun, shy, sidestep, slip out, sneak away, steer clear of, tergiversate, trick, waffle, weasel |
| Antonyms: | face, meet, take on |
| Main Entry: | fight back/fight off |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | defend oneself |
| Synonyms: | beat off, bottle up, check, contain, control, curb, fend off, hold at bay, hold back, keep at bay, oppose, put up fight, repel, reply, repress, repulse, resist, restrain, retaliate, stave off, ward off |
| Antonyms: | give in, give up, surrender, yield |
| Main Entry: | parry |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ward off, circumvent |
| Synonyms: | anticipate, avoid, block, bypass, deflect, dodge, duck*, elude, en garde, evade, fence, fend off, forestall, hold at bay, preclude, prevent, rebuff, rebuke, repel, repulse, resist, shirk, shun, sidestep, stave off |
| Antonyms: | deal with, face, meet |
| Main Entry: | rebuff |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | turn away; give the cold shoulder* |
| Synonyms: | beat off, brush off, check, chide, cross, cut, decline, deny, disallow, discourage, dismiss, disregard, fend off, hold off, ignore, keep at a distance, keep at arm's length, keep at bay, lash out at, neglect, not hear of, oppose, pass up, push back, put in one's place, put off, rebuke, refuse, reject, repel, reprove, repudiate, repulse, resist, send away, slight, snub, spurn, stave off, tell off, turn down, ward off |
| Antonyms: | hug, include, take in, welcome |
| Main Entry: | rebut |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue against; prove wrong |
| Synonyms: | break, come back at, confound, confute, controvert, cross, defeat, deny, disconfirm, disprove, evert, fend off, get back at, hold off, invalidate, keep off, negate, negative, overturn, prove false, quash, refute, repel, repulse, stave off, take on, top, ward off |
| Notes: | to rebut a statement is to offer clear evidence or a reasoned argument against it; to refute a statement is to prove it wrong (neither means 'contradict' or 'deny') |
| Antonyms: | agree, approve, back down, concede |