as in guardians
someone that protects
one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 defenders
But Houston’s defenders aspire to carve out a place alongside some of the truly elite teams that have largely carried their teams to Super Bowl glory.
—
Mike Jones, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Baylor transfer Brendan Bett stepped in to produce (40 tackles, three sacks), while the emergence of true freshman Jeremiah McCloud (13 tackles) and Joseph Mbatchou (11) offer the Gators interior defenders to build around.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Where the North Florida team couldn’t stop him from bulling for two 1-yard touchdowns and several other other successful sneaks, Bills defenders stopped quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s fourth-and-2 rush at their 8.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Lord spun and scrambled around defenders to get across the goal line and tie the score at 28 after the Redbirds (12-5) had trailed from the first quarter on.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
On the field, believing the midfield to be set, general manager Will Kuntz added two top-tier defenders in Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak, committing more than $2 million in salary to the pair.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Shorthanded and also down a player who’d had his stick slashed in half, the Tre Kronor nonetheless produced a charge through the offensive zone by Jack Berglund, who split a pair of defenders between the circles and got off a shot.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
Backup offensive lineman Thayer Munford whiffed blocking the Patriots' first run, but otherwise mowed defenders down as a fullback and moving tight end.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Wilson transferred to Missouri from Georgia prior to the 2025 season and quickly became one of the most impactful defenders on the roster.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2026
Mike Jones, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Baylor transfer Brendan Bett stepped in to produce (40 tackles, three sacks), while the emergence of true freshman Jeremiah McCloud (13 tackles) and Joseph Mbatchou (11) offer the Gators interior defenders to build around.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Where the North Florida team couldn’t stop him from bulling for two 1-yard touchdowns and several other other successful sneaks, Bills defenders stopped quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s fourth-and-2 rush at their 8.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Lord spun and scrambled around defenders to get across the goal line and tie the score at 28 after the Redbirds (12-5) had trailed from the first quarter on.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
On the field, believing the midfield to be set, general manager Will Kuntz added two top-tier defenders in Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak, committing more than $2 million in salary to the pair.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Shorthanded and also down a player who’d had his stick slashed in half, the Tre Kronor nonetheless produced a charge through the offensive zone by Jack Berglund, who split a pair of defenders between the circles and got off a shot.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
Backup offensive lineman Thayer Munford whiffed blocking the Patriots' first run, but otherwise mowed defenders down as a fullback and moving tight end.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Wilson transferred to Missouri from Georgia prior to the 2025 season and quickly became one of the most impactful defenders on the roster.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defenders
Noun
-
The organization also wants to increase public awareness on the issue and guidance for parents and guardians navigating these cosmetic decisions with their teenagers — especially when there's so much uninformed information on social media.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Both are guardians, both are thieves.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Island custodians began restoring the vegetation in the 1960s—work that continues in the resort’s nursery.—
Susan Casey,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
And fans end up getting to talk about their team like fans, not custodians of some dusty historical archive nobody wants to visit.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There's an opportunity to turn a quick profit Gold and silver, traditionally, have been considered income protectors versus income producers.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Since floors like vinyl are prone to scratching, Stein always recommends adding furniture protectors to the bottom of your furniture.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This can mean cutting unnecessary expenses, shoring up insurance protections and, perhaps most importantly, reviewing ways to make extra money.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The erosion of responsible gaming protections has been a direct real-world consequence of DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel needing to call prediction markets—an exchange format for betting—a financial asset in order to offer them to the public.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fidel Castro sent Cuban military and intelligence officers as bodyguards and advisors to take over Chavez’s security and revamp the Venezuelan army and spy agencies.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
-
He was not guarded by Venezuelan bodyguards.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sports Equipment While the dishwasher isn't ideal for cleaning baseball caps, uniforms, or equipment heavily-coated with mud, a trip through a dishwasher cycle is ideal to remove bacteria and odors from mouth guards and hard plastic shin guards.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Texas guards contributed as well.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defenders. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
