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
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Turning to a zone defense in the second half of Game 1 suffocated Phoenix’s offense, denying Alyssa Thomas the middle of the floor and turning the tide of the game.
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Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Kuhr instead called for Cover 3, a zone defense that presents similarly to Cover 1, a man-to-man call and Pats' most common coverage so far that night.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Lagway’s calf injury has limited him at a time when the 19-year-old needs to improve his shortcomings, such as reading zone defenses and develop timing with his receivers.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
So, hello zone defense, my old friend?
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
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Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Kuhr instead called for Cover 3, a zone defense that presents similarly to Cover 1, a man-to-man call and Pats' most common coverage so far that night.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Lagway’s calf injury has limited him at a time when the 19-year-old needs to improve his shortcomings, such as reading zone defenses and develop timing with his receivers.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
So, hello zone defense, my old friend?
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zone defense
Cite this Entry
“Zone defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone%20defense. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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