on defense
idiom
sports
: on the part of a team that defends the goal
She began the season on defense, but her coach later put her on offense.
Examples of on defense in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mayden has bloodlines working in his favor on defense.
—
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
The lawmaker, who heads the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense, rebuffed their pleas, saying Israel had a right to defend itself against the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
—Matthew Brown, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023
Mark Kelly Hard to believe, but President Biden has shown stronger leadership in the Asia-Pacific on defense than on economics.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
While Trevon excels on defense, Stefon excels on the offensive side of the ball and is regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
Gavin Valencia had 13 rushes for 75 yards and added five tackles on defense.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023
Florida has been stingy at home on defense and super protective of the ball.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2023
Cleveland also got some huge stops on defense and special teams, which can largely be attributed to All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2023
Freshman Adoree’ Jackson starred on defense and special teams, forcing a Utah fumble at the one-yard line during the third quarter and scoring on a 100-yard kick return.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
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Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
The lawmaker, who heads the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense, rebuffed their pleas, saying Israel had a right to defend itself against the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
—Matthew Brown, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023
Mark Kelly Hard to believe, but President Biden has shown stronger leadership in the Asia-Pacific on defense than on economics.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
While Trevon excels on defense, Stefon excels on the offensive side of the ball and is regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
Gavin Valencia had 13 rushes for 75 yards and added five tackles on defense.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023
Florida has been stingy at home on defense and super protective of the ball.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2023
Cleveland also got some huge stops on defense and special teams, which can largely be attributed to All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2023
Freshman Adoree’ Jackson starred on defense and special teams, forcing a Utah fumble at the one-yard line during the third quarter and scoring on a 100-yard kick return.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on defense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“On defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20defense. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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