tends 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of tend
as in leans
to show a liking or proneness (for something) her wardrobe tends toward dark colors and heavy fabrics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tends

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of tend
1
2
3
as in cultivates
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on plots that during the war were tended by city dwellers as vegetable gardens

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

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 tends
Verb
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 June 2026 Contemporary production design rarely breaks through at the Oscars, where the branch tends to reward period grandeur and fantasy worldbuilding. Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 June 2026 The higher up people rise in leadership positions, the more this tends to get activated. Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026 Vadiveloo notes olive oil tends to be more expensive than other cooking oils, and other oils preferred by some cultures can be part of a healthy diet. Matt Fuchs, Time, 26 June 2026 Rosie Ramirez, chief marketing officer at Galaxy Theatres, said a young first-wave audience tends to generate buzz. Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026 Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges. Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2026 The word adventure tends to conjure images of people climbing mountains, kayaking through rapids, or traveling to remote corners of the world. Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026 The conversation tends to focus on automation, productivity, and speed. Patricia Camden, Fortune, 20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tends
Verb
  • On TikTok and Telegram, the group's original content leans into teenage angst, femininity and traditional gender roles.
    Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 25 June 2026
  • Season 5 leans into the series’ best qualities, trusting its cast of breakout stars to turn a relatively simple meal into an indelible final course.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Milshtein previously served as adviser to COGAT, which supervises civilian policy in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
  • As chief of patrol, Hein supervises the most visible aspects of the Police Department that define its image in the minds of most Chicagoans, including emergency response, crisis intervention, traffic control, routine patrol and community policing efforts.
    Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • All the chairs are light enough to move around easily, as the group of guests grows and migrates.
    Rory Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2026
  • The count of executive chairs grows slowly while the value concentrated in each one climbs.
    Sue Mysko, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • This unique mindset, developed through setbacks and balancing a demanding tech career with elite cricket, demonstrates that profound inner work cultivates the awareness needed to perceive opportunities.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Buddha offers an egalitarian path to enlightenment; Confucius codifies a religion of learning; Augustine infuses Christianity with Plato and Aristotle; Martin Luther shifts spirituality inward; Duns Scotus separates belief from knowledge; William of Ockham cultivates equality under the law.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • In urban areas, municipal departments run things, while the Texas Department of Public Safety frequently manages highway collisions.
    William Jones, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026
  • The nonprofit public-private partnership manages the municipal district with services that include infrastructure planning, community engagement and more.
    Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • As Joe continues alone, Angela watches him with tears in her eyes before resting her head on his shoulder.
    Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Howitt watches players for signs of issues with mechanics and ensures targets for training loads are being met.
    Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • What’s more, the conditions attached to AB 2074 — onsite affordable homes, prevailing wages and workforce development opportunities — ensure that the state’s public investment produces broad benefits for our communities.
    Anthony Tordillos, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
  • In Illinois specifically, Constellation produces sufficient baseline electricity to fulfill the standard energy demands of over eight million residential homes.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The story follows one family who plants bulbs, seeds and seedlings to create a rainbow of blooming flowers.
    Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • Space plants 12 inches apart and water at the base to prevent powdery mildew.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tends. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on tends

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster