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
But in the second half, both defenses settled in and both offenses stalled.
—
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
More than 600 missiles and drones, civilian infrastructure hit, air defenses saturated.
—Brett Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Two great offenses, two really strong defenses, past two league MVPs in Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, and two top-tier Super Bowl contenders in a rematch of last year’s divsional playoff game won by the Bills, 27-25, in snowy Buffalo.
—Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Instead of growing a virus and weakening it to allow the body to engage its natural defenses, mRNA vaccines use pieces of genetic code to manufacture a protein, a piece of the virus.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Its designation as an anti-ship ballistic missile suggests a primary role in targeting US naval assets beyond the first island chain, with enhanced maneuverability to evade missile defenses.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Strong partnerships between business and government can build defenses that protect companies, communities and critical services.
—Lauren Buitta, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Just as Manning accelerated his growth through obsessive attention to detail, studying defenses and the sleight of hand of play-action artists like Boomer Esiason, Nix is more than willing to get bleary-eyed in the film room or pick the brain of future Hall of Famer Drew Brees.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2025
In Tennessee, Vrabel’s defenses straddled league average most years.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
More than 600 missiles and drones, civilian infrastructure hit, air defenses saturated.
—Brett Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Two great offenses, two really strong defenses, past two league MVPs in Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, and two top-tier Super Bowl contenders in a rematch of last year’s divsional playoff game won by the Bills, 27-25, in snowy Buffalo.
—Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Instead of growing a virus and weakening it to allow the body to engage its natural defenses, mRNA vaccines use pieces of genetic code to manufacture a protein, a piece of the virus.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Its designation as an anti-ship ballistic missile suggests a primary role in targeting US naval assets beyond the first island chain, with enhanced maneuverability to evade missile defenses.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Strong partnerships between business and government can build defenses that protect companies, communities and critical services.
—Lauren Buitta, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Just as Manning accelerated his growth through obsessive attention to detail, studying defenses and the sleight of hand of play-action artists like Boomer Esiason, Nix is more than willing to get bleary-eyed in the film room or pick the brain of future Hall of Famer Drew Brees.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2025
In Tennessee, Vrabel’s defenses straddled league average most years.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defenses
Noun
-
The concern is that whatever AI safeguards might have been put in place are insufficient and are allowing people to incur mental harm while using generative AI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Tesla has since reincorporated in Texas and is appealing the Delaware ruling, but the company said the new plan reflects shareholder feedback and stronger governance safeguards.—
Akash Sriram,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That drug is known to metabolize into the identical psych profile an anabolic steroid will produce … Not making excuses or asking for a pass, just putting it out there as a detail that may have been confused with a laundry list of other potential suspects.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The 2025 Wi-Fi Extender turns every corner of your house into usable internet, no excuses.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Public Investigator looks into the legal protections and qualifications for emotional support animals in Wisconsin.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The plan was lauded by conservationists for striking a balance between habitat protections for pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, elk, and mule deer while still allowing significant fossil-fuel and renewable-energy developments.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The justifications for the slaughter which started out so white hot after October 7th have cooled now, become more immaterial and incoherent.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The justifications are endless, as are the streams of books and websites making the case.—
Naomi S. Baron,
The Conversation,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Dealers are to install protective shields for the airbags free of charge.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
-
At least two protesters were seen wielding riot shields to protect against the munitions being fired at them.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Gaga joins other artists including Sting and Adele, who both recently postponed concerts due to medical reasons.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
For those reasons and more, Rohl’s signing on a season-long loan, with a €20million obligation provided Everton avoid relegation, is intriguing.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
At the same time, hospitals face growing pressure to reduce readmissions and manage outcomes beyond their walls.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Barriers like highways, fencing, border walls and other development projects threaten to leave roaming species without the option to expand, ultimately leading to localized extinction.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
So far in September, Russian forces conducted two major airstrikes of 500 airborne weapons, with 2,147 drones dispatched in total.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The United States is moving forward with plans to establish what could become the world’s largest weapons manufacturing hub in the Philippines’ Subic Bay, once home to the biggest US naval base in Asia, to counter China’s expanding military presence in the region.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defenses. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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