shield
noun
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Definition of shield
(Entry 1 of 2)
shield
verbDefinition of shield (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for shield
Synonyms: Noun
aegis (also egis), ammunition, armor, buckler, cover, defense, guard, protection, safeguard, screen, security, wall, ward
Synonyms: Verb
bulwark, cover, defend, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, ward
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of shield in a Sentence
Noun
the heat shield on a space shuttle the slightly built boy used his sharp wit as a shield against the school's bulliesVerb
celebrities who are shielded by a cluster of bodyguards whenever they appear in public she shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The names and faces of the three men appear in one IDF video that alleges the weapons facilities are being deliberately built in civilian areas using locals as human shields against potential Israeli attack. — Sam Kiley, CNN, "Israel is making the case for war, in public, against Lebanon," 30 Aug. 2019 Instead of letting their children choose a plastic backpack covered in Hello Kitty or Spider-Man, some parents are purchasing bags that double as shields in case kids get caught in gunfire. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Sales of bulletproof backpacks surged 200% – 300% in the wake of last week’s mass shootings, companies say," 8 Aug. 2019 Like the woman, who was buried about 260 feet away, the man showed signs of high social standing, wielding a sword, shield and lance and wearing a complete warrior outfit. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "This Iron Age Celtic Woman Was Buried in a Hollowed-Out Tree Trunk," 31 July 2019 Floyd Mayweather in Grand Rapids, amidst crime and poverty, with his father, staring down the barrel of a gun, once used him as a human shield. — Chris Mannix, SI.com, "Maxim Dadashev's Death a Heartbreaking Result of a Violent Sport," 24 July 2019 General Hifter’s spokesman accused the Dhaman brigade of using migrants as human shields. — Declan Walsh, New York Times, "Airstrike Kills Dozens of Migrants at Detention Center in Tripoli," 3 July 2019 One waved the colonial flag from atop a barricade as others passed ironing boards to the front for their comrades to use as shields. — Time Staff, Time, "Thousands Besiege Hong Kong's Police Headquarters After a Day of Anti-Government Protests," 21 June 2019 Women and children, most of whom continued to pledge their unwavering support of ISIS, and some who were likely being used as human shields, had been living in tunnels and caves with limited food, medicine, and sanitation. — National Geographic, "A humanitarian crisis emerges as ISIS falls in northern Syria," 27 Mar. 2019 When Lakdim tried to use a female employee as a human shield, Beltrame volunteered to stand in her place, Sky News reported. — Marie Simoneaux, NOLA.com, "Hours before his death, French cop shot in terror attack weds fiancee: report," 25 Mar. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
On the other hand, there are times of the day when shielding your eyes behind sunglasses may not be a good idea. — Time, "How Wearing Sunglasses Actually Impacts Your Eyes, According to Science," 26 Aug. 2019 If the third party tests the algorithm for fairness and rules it fair, the defendant is shielded from liability in disparate impact cases. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "HUD proposes rule that would make housing discrimination lawsuits ‘impossible’," 19 Aug. 2019 The Austrian fella had to shield his eyes, such was the glow from his flamey outing against Southampton. — SI.com, "90min's Definitive European Player Power Rankings: Week 1," 12 Aug. 2019 Under Section 230, the website, known for fostering extremism and hate speech, is shielded from liability. — Matthew Reynolds, USA TODAY, "Father of slain journalist asks Congress for exceptions to legal protections for big tech," 9 Aug. 2019 Our books offer a window into all kinds of realities that privileged Indian children are shielded from. — Manavi Kapur, Quartz India, "One woman is transforming libraries to make lifelong readers out of Indian children," 9 Aug. 2019 The camera lingers on the body for minutes, even as a handful of women attempt to exit the store, shielding the eyes of their children to protect them from the carnage. — Abby Ohlheiser, Washington Post, "As bystanders share videos of El Paso’s violent aftermath, strangers online beg them to stop," 4 Aug. 2019 Two relatives embraced a crying Catherine Vetrano while they were displayed, shielding her eyes from the image of her dead daughter. — Zolan Kanno-youngs, WSJ, "Trial of Accused Killer of Queens Jogger Begins," 5 Nov. 2018 Court shields website for drug dealers and addicts, Aug. 22, Bay Area, C2 The article incorrectly said that Ultimate Software Group, operator of the now-defunct Experience Project website, had shut down. — SFChronicle.com, "Corrections, Aug. 24," 23 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shield.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.