1
as in safeguards
means or method of defending
thorns are a rose's defense against grazing animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 defenses
The barrage was part of a larger Ukrainian attack over a broad swath of Russia, with air defenses intercepting 555 drones, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense – including over the Sea of Azov.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses destroyed nearly 200 Ukrainian drones on approach to the capital - but acknowledged several had managed to hit the city's main oil refinery for the second time this week.
—Charles Maynes, NPR, 18 June 2026
Morris remembers watching Michael Turner run through opposing defenses and Roddy White and Harry Douglas catch passes from Matt Ryan.
—Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 18 June 2026
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses shot down more than 130 drones approaching the city.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the country's defenses destroyed some 555 drones in the early morning hours.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 18 June 2026
Like any other military asset, every time the energy weapon is used, someone on the other side improves their defenses.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 18 June 2026
Russia has relentlessly struck Ukraine with those types of missiles, which air defenses struggle to counter.
—Barry Hatton, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Conner’s constantly able to get open shots because of the pressure Van Lith and Prince put on defenses.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses destroyed nearly 200 Ukrainian drones on approach to the capital - but acknowledged several had managed to hit the city's main oil refinery for the second time this week.
—Charles Maynes, NPR, 18 June 2026
Morris remembers watching Michael Turner run through opposing defenses and Roddy White and Harry Douglas catch passes from Matt Ryan.
—Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 18 June 2026
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses shot down more than 130 drones approaching the city.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the country's defenses destroyed some 555 drones in the early morning hours.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 18 June 2026
Like any other military asset, every time the energy weapon is used, someone on the other side improves their defenses.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 18 June 2026
Russia has relentlessly struck Ukraine with those types of missiles, which air defenses struggle to counter.
—Barry Hatton, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Conner’s constantly able to get open shots because of the pressure Van Lith and Prince put on defenses.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defenses
Noun
-
At the same time, not every asset intended for retirement receives the same safeguards.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
In February, Anthropic contributed $20 million toward an effort to elect congressional candidates who favor strengthening AI safeguards.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
But his silence in the series could change viewers’ perceptions of him, raising questions about where the line between empathy and excuses lies.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Other protections like trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay and trip cancellation/interruption coverage can free you from needing to purchase third-party insurance at checkout.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
-
By unionizing, the group is additionally endeavoring to ensure greater job protections, more transparency about pay and promotion standards, and have more of a say in the corporate environment.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
My problem is that the security concerns behind the ban don’t really make sense, and the regulations seem to unnecessarily target DJI beyond the justifications given.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
-
There are no obvious justifications, financial or otherwise.—
Sloane Crosley,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Five officers responded with weapons and shields, the State's Attorney's office said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Some protesters fired flares toward officers or tore up chunks of asphalt and chucked them toward police in shields and riot gear.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
There are a lot of reasons why The Osthoff Resort & Spa is an ideal spot for a waterfront family vacation.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
Høiby was not present in court on Monday because of health reasons.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Nuclear plants require a fuel called uranium – and according to the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency, no other country has the kind of uranium that Iran currently does without also having a nuclear weapons program.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Trump has insisted Iran end its nuclear weapons program and surrender its enriched uranium.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The walls that aren’t subject to preservation are sheathed in vast Claro walnut panels of a sinuous, almost figurative grain.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
Textured walls and ceilings were also a flop with design pros in the kitchen.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defenses. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
