undefended

adjective

un·​de·​fend·​ed ˌən-di-ˈfen-dəd How to pronounce undefended (audio)
Synonyms of undefendednext
: not guarded or protected : not defended
left the goal undefended
an undefended frontier/border

Synonyms of undefended

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Examples of undefended in a Sentence

the cowardly soldiers fled, leaving the palace undefended
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The United States and Canada, historic allies along an undefended border, fell deeper into a trade war Saturday marked by angry recriminations and new tariffs that are expected to raise prices for products in both countries. — Paul Wiseman, Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2026 Back then, America feared an armada of Soviet bombers laden with A-bombs barreling over the horizon, dodging our few anti-aircraft batteries, and dropping their deadly payloads on undefended American cities. — Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026 The lack of range of Coastal Command aircraft left an undefended area known as the Mid-Atlantic Gap, rendering merchant shipping and their escorts without air cover and vulnerable to attack. — Mark Wood, TheWeek, 7 Jan. 2026 Trouba opened the scoring in the first period with an undefended slap shot after an egregious Blackhawks turnover. — CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for undefended

Word History

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undefended was in 1564

Rhymes for undefended

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Browse Nearby Words

undefendable
undefended
undefiled
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Cite this Entry

“Undefended.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undefended. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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