defender

noun

de·fend·er | \ di-ˈfen-dər

Definition of defender

1 : one that defends

2 : a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about defender

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of defender in a Sentence

one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender

Recent Examples on the Web

That attacking depth is what led Parsons to use Purce as a defender last season. — Jamie Goldberg, oregonlive.com, "Portland Thorns leading goal scorer Midge Purce craves even greater heights," 3 July 2019 Kanter, 27, is an elite rebounder and a strong finisher at the rim, although he is not known as a powerful defender. — Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, "After Al Horford’s departure to Philadelphia, Celtics rebound by acquiring Enes Kanter," 1 July 2019 Huawei as defender of intellectual property rights is at odds with the picture of the company some of its competitors have painted over the years. — Klint Finley, WIRED, "Surprise! Huawei Can Actually Innovate—and Win Fans," 1 July 2019 Rivers was especially important as the first guard off the Rockets bench and as a strong perimeter defender, but also as a fill in when Chris Paul missed games. — Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle, "Rockets bring back Austin Rivers on two-year deal," 1 July 2019 Swartz, who leads Hartford with three goals on the season, had to be moved to defense, as defender Logan Gdula (FC Cincinnati) and Collin Martin (Minnesota United FC) were recalled to MLS teams. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "Hartford Athletic can’t mount comeback against Bethlehem Steel FC, lose 3-0," 29 June 2019 The Warriors also like McKinnie’s trajectory as a defender, rebounder and shooter. — Mark Medina, The Mercury News, "Warriors mailbag: What’s the latest on Kevin Durant’s future?," 28 June 2019 As a junior at Hoban last fall, Trayanum shared time in the backfield as a running back and moved all around as a defender. — Matt Goul, cleveland.com, "Hoban RB DeaMonte Trayanum commits to Arizona State," 26 June 2019 Though Gatling improved as a defender last season, the 6-foot-6 Daniels offers a bigger option alongside point guard McKinley Wright. — Pat Rooney, The Denver Post, "CU Buffs’ Shane Gatling’s offseason focus is smoothing game after up-and-down year," 25 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defender.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.