1
as in ammunition
means or method of defending
thorns are a rose's defense against grazing animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excuse
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
there's absolutely no defense for your actions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defense
President Donald Trump’s legal defense in a major lawsuit from Harvard got a major boost from a slew of state prosecutors who formally joined his side on Monday.
—
Staff, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025
The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.74%, despite European defense stocks climbing on news of a NATO deal.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 June 2025
The Pentagon on Thursday released an extraordinary number of details about the military's top-secret bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities and its defense of an air base in Qatar.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 26 June 2025
The reports also said Ruiz has claimed self defense; USA TODAY has reached out to LVMPD for more information.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defense
Staff, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025
The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.74%, despite European defense stocks climbing on news of a NATO deal.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 June 2025
The Pentagon on Thursday released an extraordinary number of details about the military's top-secret bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities and its defense of an air base in Qatar.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 26 June 2025
The reports also said Ruiz has claimed self defense; USA TODAY has reached out to LVMPD for more information.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defense
Noun
-
Detonating Everything In fact, the Russians might be said to have originated the tactic of using small drones to bring the detonator with their series of sabotage attacks against Ukrainian ammunition depots in 2017.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Ukraine is completely out of ammunition for its two vital missile defense SAMP/T batteries, the Franco-Italian version of the U.S. Patriot missile defense system, according to sources speaking with Le Monde late last month.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
It’s been tough to shuffle the pitching rotation, and tough to shuttle guys back and forth from Triple-A to make up for injuries, but the Mets aren’t using injuries as an excuse.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2025
-
The incident offered Russia an excuse to send in military forces and grab control of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.—
Charles Kupchan,
Foreign Affairs,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
That’s because Republicans are still hustling to win approval for provisions that their nonpartisan rules referee deemed ineligible for protection from a Democratic filibuster.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
26 June 2025
-
By the spring of 1975, Peltier had set up camp on the reservation at Oglala, offering protection to elders.—
Nick Estes,
New Yorker,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Trump’s predecessors feared that strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, regardless of their tactical success, could give Tehran the political justification to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and openly pursue nuclear arms, driving its program further underground and out of sight.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
-
The country's President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow on June 23 and said there was no justification for the U.S. attack and called aggression against Iran groundless.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Despite known risks, there are currently no standardized safeguards requiring companies to detect or interrupt these escalating interactions.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
But bats’ high p53 activity steps in as a safeguard, removing any cells that start to go rogue.—
Jenny Lehmann,
Discover Magazine,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
His present is extremely bright, and there’s no reason to expect near term slippage.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
And in 2025, there’s reason to think such a facet of the Panthers’ offense got better.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
In Israel, people have taken shelter in stairwells and bomb shelters, and are coping with Tehran’s ability to penetrate the country’s sophisticated defense shield.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
18 June 2025
-
Resilience becomes not just a shield, but a catalyst for future growth and innovation.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Democrats and Republicans agree that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
-
Last season, Houston lacked that go-to offensive weapon who could consistently score at all three levels.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defense. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share