to shield against
3
3.8
- phrasal verb
:
proteger de
- This insurance plan is designed to shield against unexpected medical expenses.
- serves as a shield against
Examples
-
Legal imperatives also indicate that prevention, which includes training of the academic community, may shield against liability.
Academic text (2006) -
Damson stayed close, her hands constantly touching him, as if to shield against danger.
Fiction book (1991) -
I cannot otherwise shield against it.
Fiction book (1996) -
Israel has managed to contain terrorist activities and has built an effective shield against missiles.
Academic text (2013) -
Island residents are planting coastal mangrove forests and building up low lying areas of land with dredged sand to shield themselves against storms and rising sea levels.
-
The new policy will help to shield against future cybersecurity threats.
-
Parents often shield against negative influences to protect their children.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To keep someone or something safe from harm
∞
1.3
To protect people and things from attack or harm
352
1.9
To protect someone, for example by guarding them in a game
187
1.6
Stop someone or something from coming near
146
2.7
To protect someone or something from harm
84
1.3
To take care to avoid a problem or danger
56
3.3
To protect people or things from harm
45
3.7
To protect someone or something from harm
43
4.8
To keep someone or something safe from harm
34
4.4
To keep harmful or unpleasant things away from you
34
3.9
Keep unwanted people or things away so they do not harm you
27
6.0
Keep someone apart from others to protect them from harm or criticism
9
1.8
To protect people or things from danger
2
4.8
To put a strong protective layer on something
2
9.9
To stop danger or harm from happening
To protect someone or something by giving strong support like a wall
To stop something bad from happening
To protect a town by building walls, towers, or a ditch around it
How Protective
3
3.8
84
1.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to protect someone or something from danger or harm' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'shield' (to protect) with 'against' (indicating protection or resistance). This verb + preposition composition is a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The verb shield against comes from the image of someone holding a strong shield up against arrows or blows to stop them. So it means 'to protect someone or something from danger or harm'.