Definitions

protect

[pruh-tekt] / prəˈtɛkt /

VERB

take care of; guard from harm

Synonyms

STRONGEST

assure care for conserve cover cushion defend insulate keep look after preserve safeguard save secure shelter shield support

STRONG

bulwark champion chaperon fend foster harbor hedge screen shade stonewall watch

WEAK

cover all bases cover up give refuge give sanctuary go to bat for keep safe ride shotgun for sentinel shotgun stand guard take under wing watch over

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abandon destroy endanger give up harm hurt ignore injure lay bare let go neglect release squander uncover waste

STRONG

open

WEAK

attack

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mark Hulbert shared a list of 10 “HALO” stocks protect your portfolio from the AI bubble, with that acronym standing for “heavy assets, low obsolescence.”

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Defense attorney Jacob Kaplan said Mann hid the relationship to protect her image.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Asking for $10 billion in damages, the president argued the IRS should have done more to protect his privacy and to prevent Littlejohn from leaking his personal tax information.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

Cancer cells often avoid this fate by strengthening systems that protect them from oxidative stress.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

What if he hadn’t been there to protect her?

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Vocabulary lists containing protect

Motherlode: A Mother's Day Lexicon

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Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary

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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC

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