zone defense

noun

: a system of defense (as in basketball or football) in which each player guards an assigned area rather than a specified opponent

Examples of zone defense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Part Two of the plan was going to a zone defense, and then finally, Lucas put muscular freshman Shelton Henderson on Okorie and face-guarded him and tried to take him out of the game. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026 Crean Lutheran also played some zone defense Tuesday. Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026 Brown’s entry drew the attention of Porter and Nic Claxton, which busted Brooklyn’s zone defense. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026 The Lakers rolled out a zone defense to begin the second quarter. Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for zone defense

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zone defense was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Zone defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone%20defense. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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