The youngsters had to fend for themselves after their parents died.    From Wordnet, Princeton University. 

"This is not an intended strike (but) Weyman has adopted a technique with his fend which is highly reckless," Kite argued.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Age News Headlines] Reference

The rejects are cast loose to fend for themselves.    From Wordnik.com.  [Spies, Lies &Amp; Iraq] Reference

You fend for yourself without question or complaint.    From Wordnik.com.  [When Times Were Tough, We Went 'Bare'] Reference

"Mostly he'd give a defensive answer or try to fend it off," said Armour.    From Wordnik.com.  [Al Gore's Patriotic Chore] Reference

Actually, much lobbying is defensive, seeking to fend off regulatory burdens.    From Wordnik.com.  [Grover, Calvin And Us] Reference

His innovative styles helped fend off competitors like Skechers and BCBG Girls.    From Wordnik.com.  [Back on His Feet Again] Reference

He must fend off legal challenges (however trumped up) from Yanukovych and his supporters.    From Wordnik.com.  [Kiev's Victory Carnival] Reference

Miscalculating: Reno did fend off the FBI cowboys for a few days that April, asking why now?.    From Wordnik.com.  [Reno's Darkest Hours] Reference

Now government officials and critics are trying to fend off the Native American's land rush.    From Wordnik.com.  [Taking Back the Land] Reference

While we defend those in Kosovo, NATO and America leave the Africans to fend for themselves.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Tale Of Two Countries] Reference

She was so tired she couldn't even take care of her own children, so I had to fend for myself.    From Wordnik.com.  [After A Life Of Slavery] Reference

Even if he manages to fend off such attacks, though, Koizumi faces more intractable challenges.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Man In Charge] Reference

For every competitor, there seems to be some version of the plan designed to fend off the threat.    From Wordnik.com.  [Microsoft's Crapshoot] Reference

In the past, a chummy coalition of politicians and lobbyists has managed to fend off deregulation.    From Wordnik.com.  [Time To Bust Up The Club] Reference

Rather than give in to despair, he threw himself into exercise, determined to fend off the disease.    From Wordnik.com.  [The End Of Aids?] Reference

At the same time, she has to fend off charges that she is a tool of the National Rifle Association.    From Wordnik.com.  [Not The Year Of The Women] Reference

They've created ersatz Southwests -- Delta Express, Shuttle by United -- partly to fend off Southwest.    From Wordnik.com.  [Wal-Mart Of The Sky] Reference

So it makes sense for ITT to fire some people to try to fend off Bollenbach, who would fire many more.    From Wordnik.com.  [Zapping The Little Folks] Reference

He'll fend off attacks from Democrats, who held his district for 86 years before his victory last November.    From Wordnik.com.  [Mediscare] Reference

Supreme Court decision to fend off an intensifying federal investigation, sources close to the senator say.    From Wordnik.com.  [Periscope] Reference

Every child should be free to engage in e-mail and instant messaging without having to fend off these creeps.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Geek Bill Of Rights] Reference

McNamara recommended that we pull out our advvisers to the South Vietnamese army, and let it fend for itself.    From Wordnik.com.  [Was Vietnam Jfk's War?] Reference

EcoLean will also have to fend off competition from conventional plastics, which are getting more eco-friendly.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Incredible Vanishing Plastic Eggshell] Reference

Thornburgh and his aides tried hard, if unsuccessfully, to fend off the House Banking Committee's investigation.    From Wordnik.com.  [Iraqgate: What Went Wrong] Reference

A decade ago officials formed a commission to fend off such Americanisms as "este weekend" and "un baby shower.".    From Wordnik.com.  [The Gringos Are Coming!] Reference

By reaching out to religious leaders, DreamWorks hopes to fend off the protests that have beset archrival Disney.    From Wordnik.com.  [Hollywood And Divine] Reference

He said that the bruises on her face were caused when he tried to fend off his wife's attacks on him during arguments.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Slain Woman Is Scorned] Reference

Much like Wild Things 'Max, Hansel and Gretel are abandoned by their parents in the forest and forced to fend for themselves.    From Wordnik.com.  [Is the ‘Wild Things’ Movie Too Scary for Kids?] Reference

He offered to buy Telecom Italia, Italy's former state carrier, which was trying to fend off a hostile bid from rival Olivetti.    From Wordnik.com.  [Telecom's Restless Giants] Reference

Yet she had to fend off guys who would come into the lab and want to help her work through problems or, worse yet, do them for her.    From Wordnik.com.  [MEN, WOMEN & COMPUTERS] Reference

From coast to coast, mentally ill people, without reliable access to the costly on-demand care they need, are left to fend for themselves.    From Wordnik.com.  [Cops and the Mentally Ill] Reference

In order to fend off the legislators and trial lawyers, Microsoft has been going to great lengths to show that it's serious about security.    From Wordnik.com.  [Software Crackdown] Reference