protected 1 of 2

adjective

as in defended

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

protected

2 of 2

verb

past tense of protect
as in safeguarded
to drive danger or attack away from the mother bear was just trying to protect her cubs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of protected
Adjective
The main Wekiva River was designated by Congress in 2000 as a protected National Wild and Scenic River. — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 This includes Ukraine, where the Russian language recently lost protected status. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 By the 1980s, only 375 pairs were counted, prompting the state to place the bird in protected status in 1983, citing habitat loss to housing development and agriculture. — Bay City News, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026 For example, Paris has an aesthetic aversion to window units and rooftop HVAC systems, which helps explain why installing air-conditioning typically requires special permission from authorities, especially in protected or historic areas. — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 Most of them encrypted files in non-protected folders, anywhere from a handful to 24,000. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026 And yet Sazan is also a protected area. — Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026 The southern coast of Tenerife is a hotspot environment for the conservation of cetaceans in the wild, particularly within the protected Teno-Rasca Special Conservation Zone. — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026 Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, has cautioned that Malaysia’s under-16 ban could backfire by driving teenagers away from protected apps and into unregulated corners of the internet. — Eileen Ng, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Verb
In filings with the New York bankruptcy court overseeing the case, both Spirit’s representatives and the interested bidders say privacy and personal identity will be protected. — Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 From the sprawling stone forts of early American history in the north, to the mangroves of the Everglades and protected reefs of Biscayne to the south, our state is a masterpiece of biodiversity and coastal wonder. — Lulu Vilas, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 The school board, represented by Davis, initially sought to withhold those records, arguing they were protected by attorney-client privilege. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026 Health officials say that those who are immune compromised or unable to get the vaccine are protected by others’ vaccination by herd immunity. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026 Others have taken things even further, using medical leave to get up to 12 weeks off, job-protected and, for some, even paid. — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 But civilians need to be protected for when that day may come. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 Pennsylvania health officials are recommending early or catch-up MMR doses for people as young as 6 months who aren’t fully protected. — Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 The organizations said, however, that civilians need to be protected for when that day may come. — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protected
  1. defended
  2. safeguarded
  3. shielded
  4. guarded
  5. secured
  6. secure
Adjective
  • That additional space supports higher burnout velocity and helps expand the interceptor’s defended area.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The line of four large and heavily defended cities, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) long, has been key to denying Moscow its goal of seizing Ukraine's industrial heartland.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of defended
Verb
  • In theory, the paper maintains its independence through a 1994 congressional framework and First Amendment protections safeguarded by Congress.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Longtime Webb producer Fred Mollin, who safeguarded the compositions for years, helped bring them back into the light.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of safeguarded
Adjective
  • The titular hero was born on the doomed alien world of Krypton, and grew up in a shielded city that managed to survive the planet’s initial destruction.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026
  • The pipe welding certificate program will focus on gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc welding and shielded metal arc welding, according to the ECC website.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Definition of shielded
Verb
  • That could come in handy for Andrews compared with Graham, who has been mostly guarded throughout the Republican primary races.
    — Terry Collins, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The location of the family’s new home and the children’s school are being closely guarded.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of guarded
Adjective
  • If the death benefit isn't sufficient to compensate the grandchildren, the trust can provide them with a secured note, placing a lien on the family business, according to Fox.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Then, in 2023, Bhumjaithai secured control of the powerful Ministry of Interior, which oversees local governance in Thailand, including more than 70,000 village headmen.
    — Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of secured
Adjective
  • While far off its 2008 highs, BlackBerry's share price has doubled this year as investors reward the company's strategy to focus on critical software for cars and secure communications.
    — Arjun Kharpal,Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As skirts got shorter and the Jazz Age changed how women dressed, women wanted to show off their feet and looked for secure shoes for dancing.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of secure

Browse Nearby Words

protect
protected
protecting
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Protected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protected. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All