fend for oneself
fend for oneself 是固定搭配，表示自己照料自己、不依赖他人。
After moving out, she had to fend for herself.
搬出去之后，她不得不自己照顾自己。
照料自己；自谋生计
fending — present participle of fend
照顾自己；对自己的安康负责。；击退；保护；供养
to take care of oneself and be responsible for one's own well-being
照顾自己；对自己的安康负责。
To take care of oneself; to take responsibility for one's own well-being.
一般现在时
She fends for herself.
她自谋生计。
一般过去时
He fended off the attacker.
他击退了袭击者。
现在完成时
They have fended for themselves for years.
他们多年来一直自谋生计。
fend常用作fend for oneself，表示自谋生计；fend off表示击退。
After moving out, she had to learn to fend for herself.
搬出去后，她不得不学会自己照顾自己。
用法提示：fend for herself 意为在没有帮助的情况下自己照顾自己。
The young birds must fend for themselves once they leave the nest.
小鸟一旦离巢就必须自己觅食。
用法提示：fend for themselves 表示独立生活、自谋生计。
He was left to fend for himself when his parents went abroad.
父母出国后，他只能自己照顾自己。
用法提示：fend for himself 强调独自应对生活。
fend for oneself 是固定搭配，表示自己照料自己、不依赖他人。
After moving out, she had to fend for herself.
搬出去之后，她不得不自己照顾自己。
侧重应对困难或压力，不强调长期自理；比 fend 更重处理问题而非谋生。
强调设法完成某事，可用于凑合过日子，但不如 fend 专指生活自理。
指在困难或危险中活下来，语气较重，强调生存而非日常自立。
偏口语，指勉强维持生计或应付，多指经济层面，比 fend 语义更窄。
grammar · medium
易错句子After moving abroad, she had to fend herself.
正确表达After moving abroad, she had to fend for herself.
表达“照料自己”时，fend 必须与介词 for 搭配，构成 fend for oneself；不能直接把反身代词作宾语，因此要加 for。
grammar · medium
易错句子He learned to fend with himself at an early age.
正确表达He learned to fend for himself at an early age.
表示“自己照顾自己”要用固定搭配 fend for oneself，而不是 fend with oneself；for 表示“为了自己”，with 没有这个语义。
grammar · medium
易错句子I can fend for me when I live alone.
正确表达I can fend for myself when I live alone.
fend for 后面接反身代词 oneself，与主语一致时不能用宾格 me，必须用反身代词 myself。
对应 fend 表示“照料自己、自立”的义项；其反义为依靠别人，而不是 fend off（抵挡）的反义词。
fend for oneself 指自己照顾自己、自谋生计；defend oneself 指保护自己免受攻击或伤害。且 fend 后接 for oneself，defend 后直接接 oneself 或某物。
fend for oneself 强调独立应对生活、全面自理；support oneself 主要指在金钱上养活自己，不涉及生活其他方面的料理。
自谋生计；照顾自己
He had to fend for himself from a young age.
他从小就得自谋生计。
被丢下独自生活；只能自己照顾自己
The children were left to fend for themselves while their parents worked abroad.
父母在国外工作，孩子们只能自己照顾自己。
学会自己照顾自己
Going to college taught me to fend for myself.
上大学让我学会了照顾自己。
与 fend 的核心概念相关，fend for oneself 意为独立照顾自己。
强调不依赖他人，与 fend 所指的自我负责相呼应。
在独自应对生活时，足智多谋是 fend for oneself 所需的能力。
在困难环境中 fend for oneself 常与生存技能和求生意志相关。
fend 的词典释义即“对自己的安康负责”，因此属于同一语义场。
自己照料自己；自谋生计
With both parents at work, the kids had to fend for themselves after school.
父母都要上班，孩子们放学后只好自己照料自己。
抵挡；挡开（攻击、问题等）
She managed to fend off the attackers until help arrived.
她设法抵挡住攻击者，直到救援赶到。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.