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 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

The films also rolled into being at a time when antisemitism is on the rise and anti-Israel fervor over the Gaza war has put Jews on the defensive. — Stephen Silver, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026

So, if there is no true WR3 in Denver’s offense — frequent personnel switches can put receivers in different positions depending on the defensive look — the question then becomes who will be the most reliable producer outside of the top two? — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

The forces of Rhaenyra and Team Black have been on the rise, and up until things started going badly in King’s Landing, Lord Ormund and the forces of Team Green and the Hightowers have been on the defensive. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for on the defensive

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