fend somebody/something off phrasal verb ( see also ↑ fend )
1 . to defend yourself against someone who is attacking you SYN fight somebody ↔ off :
Tabitha threw up an arm to fend her attacker off.
2 . to defend yourself from something such as difficult questions, competition, or a situation you do not want to deal with:
She uses her secretary to fend off unwanted phone calls.
The company managed to fend off the hostile takeover bid.