How to Use on the defensive in a Sentence

on the defensive

phrase

• Despite being on the defensive for most of this match, Japan is now in front!
  — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 30 June 2026
• The Wizards need someone who can help on the defensive glass and protect the rim.
  — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 30 June 2026
• One area where Okot is still developing is on the defensive end.
  — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
• The only issue with being oversized would be on the defensive end.
  — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
• Simply finding playing time on the defensive side of the ball during the preseason will be a challenge.
  — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026
• Richard averaged nine points a game in Las Vegas, but made his biggest impact on the defensive side of the floor.
  — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
• During the regular season, though, James conserves energy, and much of that shows up on the defensive end.
  — Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026
• Factory managers were often on the defensive, since raising vision problems could sound like a critique of their management.
  — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
• And the rookie is already emphasizing the importance of switchability on the defensive end of the court.
  — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
• Carter is a core player with Davis on the defensive line, with Mitchell and DeJean next in line for record-setting deals after the season.
  — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 28 July 2026
• Because his offensive responsibility went down, his energy on the defensive end went up.
  — Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026
• Head coach Carlos Queiroz has become well known for his tactical knowhow on the defensive end and will look to thwart Colombia’s many offensive talents.
  — Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
• The incident itself simultaneously highlights the dangers of a lack of guardrails on the offensive side and the limitations of too many guardrails on the defensive side.
  — Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
• Deal is one of several returning starters on the defensive line, along with senior Ansel Din-Mbuh and junior Paul Oyewale.
  — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026
• The comments followed lackluster second quarter financials with execs on the defensive as analysts grilled the company on what Wall Street perceives as a bit of a slump.
  — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 July 2026
• Sneed also rose to the occasion on the defensive end, guarding KU legend Frank Mason III.
  — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
• In any case, OpenAI’s breach of Hugging Face is both a cautionary tale of lack of guardrails on the offensive side and over moderation on the defensive side.
  — Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
• He's also played for teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, earning a reputation as a steady, reliable presence on the defensive line and one of the more experienced players in the game.
  — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 1 July 2026