fend vs contend

fend and contend both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
fend	No	No	Yes	No
contend	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, contend is a hypernym of fend; that is, contend is a word with a broader meaning than fend:

fend: try to manage without help
contend: succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available

Other hypernyms of fend include cope, deal, get by, grapple, make do, make out, manage.

fend (verb)	contend (verb)
withstand the force of something	to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
try to manage without help	have an argument about something
	maintain or assert
	compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
	be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
	succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available