Fence (Verb)
Meaning 1
Receive stolen goods.
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Examples
- The shady dealer was arrested for fencing stolen jewelry on the black market.
- She had been fencing goods for her boyfriend, who had connections with local thieves.
- He got caught fencing electronics to pay off his debt to the loan shark.
- As an experienced fence, she knew exactly how to disguise the source of the stolen items.
- The authorities finally caught the person who had been fencing the stolen artwork overseas.
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Meaning 2
Have an argument about something.
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- Her parents continued to fence over whose decision it was to end the relationship between their child and her partner.
- He had been fencing with his manager all day, but neither side seemed to be backing down.
- After years of avoiding the issue, they finally sat down to fence about what had gone wrong between them.
- She and her sister had always fenced about their differing opinions on politics and social issues.
- For hours, the student and teacher fenced about the meaning of a passage in the literature textbook.
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Meaning 3
Fight with fencing swords.
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- She expertly managed to fence around her opponent's attack with a swift parry.
- He was forced to fence defensively, protecting himself from the flurry of strikes.
- In the Olympic final, the two fencers faced off, ready to fence for the gold medal.
- As a beginner, she found it difficult to fence against her more experienced opponent.
- Their friendly sparring session allowed them to fence without the pressure of competition.
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Meaning 4
Surround with a wall in order to fortify.
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- The ancient city walls were built to fence the town from invaders and protect its people.
- The wealthy businessman decided to fence his property to ensure the safety and security of his family.
- To prevent intruders from entering, the army moved to fence the perimeter of the base.
- The company plans to fence the industrial site to safeguard it from potential threats.
- The medieval fort was designed with high stone walls to fence the stronghold from enemy attacks.
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Meaning 5
Enclose with a fence; "we fenced in our yard".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- They decided to fence off the section of the garden to keep out the wild rabbits.
- The city authorities fenced in the public park to improve safety and security.
- The family fenced their property to protect their kids and pets from the busy road.
- The farmer fenced the fields to keep the stray livestock from trampling his crops.
- The homeowner association voted to fence the community pool area for added safety.