as in defensive
intended to resist or prevent attack or aggression
the cat drew back its ears and sank into a protective posture as the dog approached it
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Recent Examples of protective
The proposal would require AI systems that simulate conversation to use privacy-preserving age estimation so child-protective settings kick in for users under 18.
—
Chris Lehane, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Removing protective material too soon exposes soil to fluctuating temperatures.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
Add a protective barrier of wood furniture wax once a year to prevent grease and grime from discoloring the wood.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
House Bill 277 would enhance domestic violence penalties and strengthen the enforcement of protective injunctions.
—Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Another protective order was filed by his ex-wife’s male coworker, who Culleton was allegedly stalking and threatening.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
This anxiety takes the physical form of a garish yellow raincoat that seemingly only Rika can see, providing a protective layer between herself and others.
—Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
Despite being informed by Romain and another Harvard-Westlake student that van der Woude had digitally penetrated them, Harvard-Westlake officials did not contact law enforcement or child protective services as required by law, according to the lawsuit.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
Always wear protective coverings when working with your oleander plant.
—Adrienne Jordan, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Chris Lehane, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Removing protective material too soon exposes soil to fluctuating temperatures.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
Add a protective barrier of wood furniture wax once a year to prevent grease and grime from discoloring the wood.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
House Bill 277 would enhance domestic violence penalties and strengthen the enforcement of protective injunctions.
—Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Another protective order was filed by his ex-wife’s male coworker, who Culleton was allegedly stalking and threatening.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
This anxiety takes the physical form of a garish yellow raincoat that seemingly only Rika can see, providing a protective layer between herself and others.
—Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
Despite being informed by Romain and another Harvard-Westlake student that van der Woude had digitally penetrated them, Harvard-Westlake officials did not contact law enforcement or child protective services as required by law, according to the lawsuit.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
Always wear protective coverings when working with your oleander plant.
—Adrienne Jordan, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protective
defensive
Adjective
-
The one thing that is undetermined that could free up even more cap space is the situation surrounding defensive tackle Kenny Clark.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Minessale was the Tommies’ lone double-digit scorer in the contest, though Ben Oosterban, Carter Bjerke, and Nick Janowski each logged nine points as Austin Herro tallied eight points to go with a game-high eight rebounds — seven of which came on the defensive end.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protective. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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