as in protective
intended to resist or prevent attack or aggression
a defensive alliance among the small nations against the aggressors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defensive
William Guillory, New York Times, 31 May 2026
One Republican close to the White House, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, implored the White House to be more defensive on gas prices.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2026
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
And leaving threw Iran on the defensive, signaling it as the losing state in the war.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defensive
Adjective
That was when the team really turned up the defensive intensity on Thursday, dialing up a variety of coverages on Gilgeous-Alexander that kept the Thunder from going on any runs with Wemby out.
—William Guillory, New York Times, 31 May 2026
One Republican close to the White House, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, implored the White House to be more defensive on gas prices.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2026
Noun
An All-American defensive back, Rex Connors has more than 300 career tackles, the most in program history.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
And leaving threw Iran on the defensive, signaling it as the losing state in the war.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defensive
Adjective
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If successful, this technology could produce longer-lasting, blowout-resistant tires and more protective electronics cases.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
Each piece is crafted from solid acacia wood that is naturally weather-resistant and sealed with a protective finish for an extra layer of durability.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Liveried guards greet you at the grand entrance and breeze through ‘hello’ in any number of languages.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The Illini have the nation’s best backup big in Zvonimir Ivisic and need to hit on just one or two of their four freshman guards to round out the rotation.—
CJ Moore
June 2,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defensive. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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