on the offensive
idiom
: in or into a situation or position in which one attacks or fights against someone or something
The soldiers are on the offensive.
She went on the offensive to fight the charges against her.
Examples of on the offensive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fashanu was Penn State’s first consensus All-American on the offensive line since 1995 (Jeff Hartings).
—
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
If Phoenix goes ultra small with Durant at the five, then Rudy Gobert has to live at the rim — either with deep post positioning or on the offensive glass.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2024
Especially on the offensive side of the football, where Mahomes, the two-time NFL MVP, called the shots?
—Sean Gregory / Dallas, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Brown pointed out his team did well on the offensive glass by outscoring the Celtics 20-8 on second-chance points.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
Murray was not too pleased with his performance after the game but hoped that his persistence on the offensive end made an NBA legend proud.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
The selection process is based on a variety of factors, such as a team's strength of schedule during the regular season, the quality of its wins — such as whether the wins came on the road or at home, and how the team performed statistically, both on the offensive and defensive end.
—Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
But the Cowboys made a move to shore up the depth on the offensive line by re-signing backup offensive tackle Chuma Edoga to a one-year deal on Wednesday.
—Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Even when Doncic returned for the fourth, Paul kept Golden State’s second unit on the offensive.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
If Phoenix goes ultra small with Durant at the five, then Rudy Gobert has to live at the rim — either with deep post positioning or on the offensive glass.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2024
Especially on the offensive side of the football, where Mahomes, the two-time NFL MVP, called the shots?
—Sean Gregory / Dallas, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Brown pointed out his team did well on the offensive glass by outscoring the Celtics 20-8 on second-chance points.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
Murray was not too pleased with his performance after the game but hoped that his persistence on the offensive end made an NBA legend proud.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
The selection process is based on a variety of factors, such as a team's strength of schedule during the regular season, the quality of its wins — such as whether the wins came on the road or at home, and how the team performed statistically, both on the offensive and defensive end.
—Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
But the Cowboys made a move to shore up the depth on the offensive line by re-signing backup offensive tackle Chuma Edoga to a one-year deal on Wednesday.
—Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Even when Doncic returned for the fourth, Paul kept Golden State’s second unit on the offensive.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the offensive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on the offensive
Cite this Entry
“On the offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20offensive. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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