defenseman
noun
de·fense·man
di-ˈfen(t)s-mən 
-ˌman
: a player in a sport (such as hockey) who is assigned to a defensive zone or position
Examples of defenseman in a Sentence
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Their forward group of Cihar, Sikora, Vaclav Nestrasil (CHI), Tomas Poletin (NYI) and Max Curran (COL) made life very difficult on the Canadian defensemen, while Sikora and Adam Benak (MIN) were also able to make high-end plays.
—
Corey Pronman, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
In the extra period, Barzal found Schaefer all alone in the high slot and the 18-year-old rookie defenseman wired a shot past Woll for the win.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Colorado had used the same six defensemen for 27 consecutive games.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
The Sharks were down another defenseman by the end of the game after Shakir Mukhamadullin left with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2026
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Corey Pronman, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
In the extra period, Barzal found Schaefer all alone in the high slot and the 18-year-old rookie defenseman wired a shot past Woll for the win.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Colorado had used the same six defensemen for 27 consecutive games.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
The Sharks were down another defenseman by the end of the game after Shakir Mukhamadullin left with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defenseman
Cite this Entry
“Defenseman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defenseman. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
defenseman
noun
de·fense·man
-mən
-ˌman
: a player in a sport who is assigned to a defensive zone or position
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