Fence — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈfen(t)s/

Meaning & Definition of Fence

Fence (noun)

  1. a means of protection, defense
  2. a barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion or to mark a boundary; especially, such a barrier made of posts and wire or boards
  3. an immaterial barrier or boundary line

Fence (verb)

  1. to enclose with a fence
  2. to keep in or out with a fence
  3. to ward off

Fence (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a physical object that blocks the way

    "the only way to prevent motorists from trying to use that unsafe bridge is to put a fence across the road leading to it"

    similar: barricade, barrier, hedge, wall
    related: bar, pale, paling, block, chain, clog, crimp, deterrent, drag, embarrassment, encumbrance, handicap, hindrance, hurdle, impediment, inhibition, interference, let, obstacle, obstruction, roadblock, stop, stumbling block, trammel, fetter, hobble, manacle, shackle(s), constraint, curb, restraint, snag, buffer, bulwark, bumper, cushion, dam, fender, pad, rampart
    near: door, doorway, entrance, entranceway, entry, entryway, gate, portal, break, gap, pass

Fence (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to drive danger or attack away from

    "had worked as a bodyguard, fencing a number of pop stars at big events"

    similar: bulwark, cover, defend, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, ward, stand up for
    related: avert, prevent, oppose, resist, withstand, battle, contend, fight, war, conserve, preserve, save, buffer, palisade, picket, wall
    opposite: assail, assault, attack
    near: bombard, storm, beset, besiege, overrun, capitulate, cave, submit, yield

Related Entry: Fence (in) (verb)

Fence (in) is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for fence (in), not for fence.

  1. to close or shut in by or as if by barriers

    "fencing in the yard would keep our dog in as well as keep unwanted stray dogs out"

    similar: box (in), cage, closet, coop (up), corral, encage, encase, enclose, envelop, hedge, hem (in), house, immure, include, mew (up), pen, wall (in)
    related: bound, circumscribe, confine, contain, limit, restrict, encircle, encompass, enfold, enframe, enlace, frame, ring, surround, armor, cocoon, encapsulate, encapsule, encyst, ensheathe, ensphere, enwomb

Related Entry: Fence-sitting (noun)

Fence-sitting is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for fence-sitting, not for fence.

  1. a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action

    "in Congress there was a lot of fence-sitting, with many representatives waiting to see which way the political wind was blowing"

    similar: faltering, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillation, wavering, wobbling
    related: delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting, arrière-pensée, misgiving, second thought, consideration, debate, deliberation, doubt, incertitude, indecisiveness, indetermination, uncertainness, uncertainty, avoidance, equivocation, aversion, disinclination, indisposition, reluctance, unwillingness, faintheartedness, shyness, timidity, timidness
    near: certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, sureness, alacrity, eagerness, readiness

Related Entry: On the fence (phrase)

On the fence is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for on the fence, not for fence.

  1. not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something

    "He's on the fence about taking a job with a company that doesn't use sustainable materials."

    similar: distrustful, doubtful, dubious, hinky (slang), mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, trustless, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure
    related: ambivalent, conflicted, equivocal, diffident, insecure, halting, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, vacillating, wavering
    opposite: certain, convinced, positive, sure
    near: assured, confident, sanguine, self-assured, decisive, determined, resolute

  2. not favoring or joined to either side in a quarrel, contest, or war

    "He remained on the fence about the argument and wouldn't help his friends resolve it."

    similar: neutral, nonpartisan
    related: nonaligned, hands-off, noninterventionist, autonomous, independent, sovereign, unaffiliated, nonbelligerent, individualistic, disinterested, evenhanded, fair, impartial, indifferent, unbiased, uninfluenced, unprejudiced, bipartisan
    opposite: allied, confederate
    near: biased, partial, partisan, prejudiced, unfair, affiliated, associated, federated, belligerent

Related Entry: Straddle the fence (phrase)

Straddle the fence is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for straddle the fence, not for fence.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "I'd straddle the fence long enough and it was time to make a decision."

    similar: equivocate, fudge, hedge, pussyfoot, tergiversate, waffle, weasel, beat around the bush, hem and haw
    related: flip-flop, yo-yo, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, shake, shirk, shun, sidestep, skirt, bypass, circumvent, cavil, quibble, straddle

Related Entry: Sunk fence (noun)

Sunk fence is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for sunk fence, not for fence.

  1. as in moat, stank

    similar: ha-ha, moat, stank (British dialect), dike, ditch, fosse, gutter, sheugh (chiefly Scottish), trench, trough, acequia (Southwest), culvert, drain, draw, gully, ravine, drill, furrow, kennel

Related Entry: Straddled the fence (phrase)

Straddled the fence is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for straddled the fence, not for fence.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "I'd straddle the fence long enough and it was time to make a decision."

    similar: equivocated, fudged, hedged, pussyfooted, tergiversated, waffled, weaseled, beat around the bush, hemmed and hawed
    related: flip-flopped, yo-yoed, dodged, ducked, eluded, eschewed, evaded, shirked, shook, shunned, sidestepped, skirted, bypassed, circumvented, caviled, quibbled, straddled

Related Entry: Straddles the fence (phrase)

Straddles the fence is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for straddles the fence, not for fence.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "I'd straddle the fence long enough and it was time to make a decision."

    similar: equivocates, fudges, hedges, pussyfoots, tergiversates, waffles, weasels, beats around the bush, hems and haws
    related: flip-flops, yo-yoes, dodges, ducks, eludes, eschews, evades, shakes, shirks, shuns, sidesteps, skirts, bypasses, circumvents, cavils, quibbles, straddles

Related Entry: Straddling the fence (phrase)

Straddling the fence is a different word from Fence. The synonyms below are for straddling the fence, not for fence.

  1. to avoid giving a definite answer or position

    "I'd straddle the fence long enough and it was time to make a decision."

    similar: equivocating, fudging, hedging, pussyfooting, tergiversating, waffling, weaseling, beating around the bush, hemming and hawing
    related: flip-flopping, yo-yoing, dodging, ducking, eluding, eschewing, evading, shaking, shirking, shunning, sidestepping, skirting, bypassing, circumventing, caviling, quibbling, straddling

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fence

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fence:

barricade, barrier, hedge, wall, bulwark, cover, defend, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, ward, stand up for

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Fence

Words with the opposite meaning of Fence:

assail, assault, attack

Related Words for Fence

bar, pale, paling, block, chain, clog, crimp, deterrent, drag, embarrassment, encumbrance, handicap, hindrance, hurdle, impediment, inhibition, interference, let, obstacle, obstruction, roadblock, stop, stumbling block, trammel, fetter, hobble, manacle, shackle(s), constraint, curb

Near Antonyms of Fence

door, doorway, entrance, entranceway, entry, entryway, gate, portal, break, gap, pass, bombard, storm, beset, besiege, overrun, capitulate, cave, submit, yield

Word Forms of Fence

Inflections: fenced, fencing

Derived words: fenceless (adjective), fencelessness (noun), fencer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Fence

Middle English fens, short for defens, defense defense:1

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Fence

fence-mending, fence-sitting, chain-link fence, drift fence, Invisible Fence, on the fence, picket fence, snake fence

Frequently Asked Questions about Fence

What does "Fence" mean?

"Fence" means a means of protection, defense. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a means of protection, defense. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fence"?

Other words for "Fence" include barricade, barrier, hedge, wall, bulwark, cover, defend and fend. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fence" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fence"?

There are 71 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fence". Common alternatives include barricade, barrier, hedge, wall, bulwark, cover, defend, fend, forfend and guard.

What is the opposite of "Fence"?

Antonyms of "Fence" include assail, assault and attack. Near antonyms include door, doorway, entrance and entranceway.

How do you use "Fence" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fence" in a sentence: "the only way to prevent motorists from trying to use that unsafe bridge is to put a fence across the road leading to it"; "had worked as a bodyguard, fencing a number of pop stars at big events".

Is "Fence" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fence" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Fence"?

"Fence" is pronounced /ˈfen(t)s/.

What is the origin of the word "Fence"?

"Fence" comes from Middle English fens, short for defens, defense defense:1. First known use: 14th century.