on the defensive

phrase

: in the state or condition of being prepared or required to defend against attack or criticism

keeping his political opponent on the defensive

Examples of on the defensive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And recruiting on the defensive interior had been poor the previous few cycles, as Notre Dame went four years without signing a front-line tackle who developed into a high-end college player. — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

California’s billionaires are going on the defensive, putting millions of dollars behind an effort to defeat a one-time billionaire tax that would collect 5% of their net worth if approved. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026

He is expected to be an integral piece of any possible improvement on the defensive side of the ball in 2026 and beyond. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026

And she’s constantly tasked with slowing down some of the best opposing players in the WNBA on some nights, and playing a free safety role to help her teammates on the defensive end. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for on the defensive

• counteroffensive
• antihypertensive
• apprehensive
• coextensive
• comprehensive
• hypertensive
• hypotensive
• inexpensive
• inoffensive
• normotensive
• expensive
• extensive