in defense of (something or someone)

idiom

variants or in something's or someone's defense

1

: in order to keep (something) safe that is being physically attacked

They fought in defense of their country.

2

: in support of (someone or something) that is being verbally attacked or criticized

She spoke out in defense of justice.

Let me say, in her defense, that I would have done the same thing that she did.

He spoke up in his own defense.

Examples of in defense of (something or someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Beijing could have credibly supported Iran in defense of its strategic partnership. —Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

The other shoe dropped with an unsettling thud recently when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt openly gay-bashed in defense of her controversial boss. —Louis Balsamo, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2025

Now serving as his vice president, Vance is being called on to make a more complicated case in defense of Trump’s decision Saturday to drop bombs on nuclear enrichment sites in Iran. —Chelsea Chan, NBC news, 24 June 2025

Taylor, in defense of Ace, says Amaya is the Islander who’s trying too hard. —Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 11 June 2025