To fend means to defend yourself or take care of yourself, usually in a difficult situation. When you fend off an attack, you push it away or protect yourself from it. A soccer goalie might fend off shot after shot during a tough game, using quick reflexes to keep the ball out of the net.

The phrase fend for yourself means taking care of your own needs without help from others. If your parents go out for the evening and leave sandwich ingredients in the fridge, they might tell you to fend for yourself for dinner. Animals in the wild must fend for themselves, finding their own food and shelter without anyone to help them.

Fending often suggests struggle or challenge: you're actively working to manage on your own or protect yourself. A knight might fend off attackers with a sword. A castaway on a desert island must fend for herself, solving problems and meeting her own needs with whatever resources she can find. The word captures that sense of self-reliance and active defense when circumstances demand it.