1
as in safeguards
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 excuses
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 defenses
Iran — much like Venezuela — has air defenses against drones.
—
Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Your immune system also uses sleep to recharge its defenses.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
The sweet spot late for the game’s best in often the mid-range, the space on the floor defenses are designed to surrender.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
But as defenses have found ways to slow him down and some of the Kansas City QB’s key contributors have moved on or gotten older, the Chiefs offense has transitioned into more of a dink-and-dunk operation.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Ukraine’s armed forces said Storm Shadow missiles had evaded Russia’s air defenses and struck the site in Bryansk which produces gunpowder, explosives and rocket components.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The Warriors, led by two-time league MVP Steph Curry, bend and contort defenses in ways that most other teams aren’t equipped to.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
The first half was filled with several near goals, but the respective defenses were able to hold up.
—Hannah Hughes, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
At the bottom, the Denver Broncos' Bo Nix and the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence are riding top-five defenses/special teams to winning records.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Your immune system also uses sleep to recharge its defenses.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
The sweet spot late for the game’s best in often the mid-range, the space on the floor defenses are designed to surrender.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
But as defenses have found ways to slow him down and some of the Kansas City QB’s key contributors have moved on or gotten older, the Chiefs offense has transitioned into more of a dink-and-dunk operation.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Ukraine’s armed forces said Storm Shadow missiles had evaded Russia’s air defenses and struck the site in Bryansk which produces gunpowder, explosives and rocket components.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The Warriors, led by two-time league MVP Steph Curry, bend and contort defenses in ways that most other teams aren’t equipped to.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
The first half was filled with several near goals, but the respective defenses were able to hold up.
—Hannah Hughes, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
At the bottom, the Denver Broncos' Bo Nix and the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence are riding top-five defenses/special teams to winning records.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defenses
Noun
-
Companies that host or enable these tools must now consider stronger safeguards and faster takedown systems.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Lawsuit alleges OpenAI weakened suicide safeguards to boost ChatGPT use.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That’s not surprising, but no excuses.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most banged up teams in the entire NFL, but head coach Kyle Shanahan isn't interested in excuses.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
So when Missouri had minimal protections, we were stuck with Kansas and our inability to update our child's birth certificate there.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
McClure’s is one of at least eight North Carolina cases affected by what federal public defenders say are unconstitutional conditions that violate protections against cruel and unusual punishment.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In this era, several justifications were offered for enslaving Africans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Local leaders, on the other hand, continued to push back on the administration's justifications and the administration's characterizations of violence in their cities.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The tree’s hardwood is excellent for fuel, boomerangs, clubs, and shields.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Just three days in and these XL-sized shields are thick as thieves, which doesn’t seem threatening to anyone whose name isn’t Annie.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Due process requires a commitment to the reasons punishment is sought and thus allows those reasons to be addressed and countered.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Walking deeper into a smelly cave along the Albania-Greece border, cavers shined their flashlights along the rock walls and illuminated a massive spider colony.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
-
On Floors, Walls, and Ceiling Famed interior designer Emily Henderson went all-in on warm oak for her brother’s home project, cladding the floors, walls, and ceiling a gorgeous oak wood plank.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Takaichi plans to remove remaining restrictions on weapons exports in an effort to boost the defense industry.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Ice dancers Ren Junfei and Xing Jianing were seen with a large toy version of China’s new DF-61 missile – a huge intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) transported on an eight-axle truck and capable of carrying nuclear weapons – at the Cup of China in Chongqing on Saturday.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defenses. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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