fend
v.v. to take care of yourself or protect yourself without help from others.
v. to provide for one's own needs or to resist an attack or pressure. Often used with 'for' when referring to self-sufficiency or 'off' when referring to defense.
The children had to fend for themselves while their parents were away.
Small businesses often have to fend for themselves in a market dominated by massive global corporations.
After the sudden collapse of the local industry, many families were left to fend for themselves without any immediate government assistance or social safety net.
From Middle English fenden (“defend, fight, prevent”), shortening of defenden (“defend”), from Old French deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from dē- + fendō (“hit, thrust”), from Proto-Italic fendō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- (“strike, kill”).
From Middle English fēnd, feond, from Old English fēond (“adversary, foe, enemy, fiend, devil, Satan”), from Proto-Germanic fijandz, present participle of fijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate”). More at fiend.
The verb is intransitive when used with 'for' (to provide for oneself) and transitive when used with 'off' (to repel something).
he fended himselfhe fended for himselfWhen meaning to look after oneself, the verb requires the preposition 'for' and is not used as a simple reflexive.