1
as in ammunition
means or method of defending
thorns are a rose's defense against grazing animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of defense
Interest payments are now the second-largest spending category in the federal budget, surpassing Medicare and defense in fiscal year 2024 and trailing only Social Security.
—
Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Everyone knows that run defense starts up front, though, on the interior defensive line.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025
Swedish defense giant Saab reported stronger-than-expected second operating income of 1.98 billion Swedish krona ($200 million) this morning.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 18 July 2025
Clarence Darrow, a celebrated defense attorney, represented Scopes.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defense
Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Everyone knows that run defense starts up front, though, on the interior defensive line.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025
Swedish defense giant Saab reported stronger-than-expected second operating income of 1.98 billion Swedish krona ($200 million) this morning.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 18 July 2025
Clarence Darrow, a celebrated defense attorney, represented Scopes.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defense
Noun
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South Korean intelligence officials have estimated that the North has sent Russia roughly 13,000 soldiers and millions of artillery shells, and Ukrainian officials believe as much as 40% of Russia’s ammunition now comes from North Korea, Bloomberg reported.—
Mathias Hammer,
semafor.com,
13 July 2025
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Russia and North Korea’s alliance has strengthened, as seen in North Korea’s supply of troops and ammunition to the Ukrainian battlefield in support of Russia.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
12 July 2025
Noun
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The Turkish leader has also used the 2016 coup attempt against him as an excuse to pull apart the rule of law and any vestiges of institutional governance in Turkey.—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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But that's absolutely no excuse, because intent doesn't excuse ignorance.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
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Salmon and other fish populations, deprived of hundreds of miles of quiet pools to lay their eggs and for the juvenile fish to survive and thrive, shrank by about 95%, which led the federal government to enact protections for some salmon populations.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
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Never reuse passwords across platforms, and update them regularly for maximum protection.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Noun
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While not all partners who cheat have dark personality traits, those who do often share certain justifications for their behavior.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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There is no other justification for trading a sturdy, dependable backup center for one who played 16 underwhelming games last season.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
17 July 2025
Noun
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Show who’s accountable, what safeguards exist, and why automation supports (not replaces) your workforce.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Similarly, Grok 4 may have had less emphasis on eliminating bias in its training or fewer safeguards in place to prevent such outputs.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Now, there’s no reason for any such cat-and-mouse game.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
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The Trump administration is ending provisions that temporarily protected immigrants who lack permanent legal status from deportations for humanitarian reasons.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The challenge was depositing a uniform layer of gold on a curved shield.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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The shell is made of ultra-durable and scratch-resistant polycarbonate that keeps the suitcase light (just over six pounds) despite providing a tough shield for your belongings.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
14 July 2025
Noun
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One of those flaws is a lack of top-tier weapons for superstar quarterback Josh Allen to work with.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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Iraqi officials strongly criticized a U.S. transfer of lightweight 105 mm M119 howitzers to Erbil for use by the Peshmerga in August 2024, with some calling for confiscating these weapons, underscoring Baghdad’s sensitivities to Kurdish forces possessing even basic weapons.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defense. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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