What's the difference between defend and fight?

Defend


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To ward or fend off; to drive back or away; to repel.
  • (v. t.) To prohibit; to forbid.
  • (v. t.) To repel danger or harm from; to protect; to secure against; attack; to maintain against force or argument; to uphold; to guard; as, to defend a town; to defend a cause; to defend character; to defend the absent; -- sometimes followed by from or against; as, to defend one's self from, or against, one's enemies.
  • (v. t.) To deny the right of the plaintiff in regard to (the suit, or the wrong charged); to oppose or resist, as a claim at law; to contest, as a suit.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The Wales international and Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald both admitted having sex with the victim, – McDonald was found not guilty of the same charge.
  • (2) "What has made that worse is the disingenuous way the force has defended their actions.
  • (3) It arguably became too comfortable for Rodgers' team, with complacency and slack defending proving a dangerous brew.
  • (4) Joe, meanwhile, defends her right to say "negro" whenever she wants.
  • (5) Whittingdale also defended the right of MPs to use privilege to speak out on public interest matters.
  • (6) Madonna has defended her description of the leak of 13 unfinished demos from her forthcoming album as “a form of terrorism” and “artistic rape”.
  • (7) After an introductory note on primary preventive intervention of breast cancer during adulthood, the author defends and extends a hypothesis that relates most of the known risk factors for this disease to the development of preneoplastic lesions in the breast.
  • (8) Defendants on legal aid will no longer be able to choose their solicitor.
  • (9) All 17 candidates are going to be participating in debate night and I think that’s a wonderful opportunity Reince Priebus Republican party officials have defended the decision to limit participation, pointing out that the chasing pack will get a chance to debate separately before the main event.
  • (10) In mitigation, Gareth Jones, defending, said: "The first comment [he] wrote was in relation to Fabrice Muamba.
  • (11) "The Texas attorney general's office will continue to defend the Texas legislature's decision to prohibit abortion providers and their affiliates from receiving taxpayer dollars through the Women's Health Program."
  • (12) The philosopher defended his actions by referring to Pierre Bourdieu's concept of symbolic violence, naturally enough, but it didn't wash with HR.
  • (13) Later, Lucas, also a former party leader, strongly defended Bennett, saying it was a “bad day for Natalie” but there was also “kind of a gloating tone that strikes one as having something to do with her being a woman in there too”.
  • (14) Free speech has protected hate speech, and opponents of censorship have consistantly defended the rights of unscrupulous populists and incendiarists.
  • (15) "You could understand why I need another central defender," Mourinho said afterwards.
  • (16) The concept of a head of state as a "defender" of any sort of faith is uncomfortable in an age when religion is again acquiring a habit of militancy.
  • (17) Abe Foxman, director of the Anti-Defamation League, a vigorous defender of Israel, called the speech “ill-advised”.
  • (18) Everton ended with 10 men after Seamus Coleman limped off with all three substitutes deployed but there was no late flourish from a visiting team who, with Fernando replacing Kevin De Bruyne after the Irish defender’s departure, appeared content to settle for 1-2.
  • (19) "I never expected to get 100 caps and have the reception I did," said the Chelsea defender.
  • (20) He is shadow home secretary and will have to defend himself.

Fight


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To strive or contend for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed by with or against.
  • (v. i.) To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make resistance.
  • (v. t.) To carry on, or wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause.
  • (v. t.) To contend with in battle; to war against; as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop fought the frigate for three hours.
  • (v. t.) To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver in a fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's ship.
  • (v. i.) A battle; an engagement; a contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies, etc.
  • (v. i.) A struggle or contest of any kind.
  • (v. i.) Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him.
  • (v. i.) A screen for the combatants in ships.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) beta-Endorphin blocked the development of fighting responses when a low footshock intensity was used, but facilitated it when a high shock intensity was delivered.
  • (2) A 45-year-old mother of four, named as Hediye Sen, was killed during clashes in Cizre, while a 70-year-old died of a heart attack during fighting in Silopi, according to hospital sources.
  • (3) At the ceremony, the Taliban welcomed dialogue with Washington but said their fighters would not stop fighting.
  • (4) A dozen peers hold ministerial positions and Westminster officials are expecting them to keep the paperwork to run the country flowing and the ministerial seats warm while their elected colleagues fight for votes.
  • (5) I hope they fight for the money to make their jobs worth doing, because it's only with the money (a drop in the ocean though it may be) that they'll be able to do anything.
  • (6) They argue that the US, the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases per capita (China recently surpassed us in sheer volume), needs to lead the fight to limit carbon emissions, rather continuing to block global treaties as it has done in the past.
  • (7) If there was to be guerrilla warfare, I wanted to be able to stand and fight with my people and to share the hazards of war with them.
  • (8) How big tobacco lost its final fight for hearts, lungs and minds Read more Shares in Imperial closed down 1% and British American Tobacco lost 0.75%, both underperforming the FTSE100’s 0.3% decline.
  • (9) But still we have to fight for health benefits, we have to jump through loops … Why doesn’t the NFL offer free healthcare for life, especially for those suffering from brain injury?” The commissioner, however, was quick to remind Davis that benefits are agreed as part of the collective bargaining process held between the league and the players’ union, and said that they had been extended during the most recent round of negotiations.
  • (10) Unlike most birds of prey, which are territorial and fight each other over nesting and hunting grounds, the hen harrier nests close to other harriers.
  • (11) Like many families, we’ve had to move to escape the fighting.
  • (12) Critics of wind power peddle the same old myths about investment in new energy sources adding to families' fuel bills , preferring to pick a fight with people concerned about the environment, than stand up to vested interests in the energy industry, for the hard-pressed families and pensioners being ripped off by the energy giants.
  • (13) When the election comes, we won’t be campaigning for a coalition... ...we will be fighting heart and soul for a majority Conservative Government – because that is what our country needs.
  • (14) We have much more fighting to do!” Now Cherwell is preparing to publish letters or articles from other students who have been inspired to open up about their own ordeals.
  • (15) We need to put our heads together, and get our act together to fight corruption.
  • (16) It’s useless if we try and fight with them through force, so we try and fight with them through humour.” “There is a saying that laughing is the best form of medicine.
  • (17) He was fighting to breathe.” The decision on her father’s case came just 10 days after a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, found there was not enough evidence to indict a white police officer for shooting dead an unarmed black teenager called Michael Brown.
  • (18) That’s why I thought: ‘I hope Tyson wins – even if he never gives me a shot.’ As long as the heavyweight titles are out of Germany we could have some interesting fights.
  • (19) Everyone expressed commitment to fight climate change.
  • (20) His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.