as in vulnerable
lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack
the cowardly soldiers fled, leaving the palace undefended
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Recent Examples of undefended
Every poorly thrown or dropped pass, every penalty, every sloppy or missed tackle, every undefended pass put the team in a position to need a field goal to win.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Trouba opened the scoring in the first period with an undefended slap shot after an egregious Blackhawks turnover.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
Mark Collins, who was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada, said Canadians have long treasured their friendship with the United States and the fact that the US-Canada border is the longest undefended border on the planet.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
Even with changes that came after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Abdool, noting the reputation of the longest undefended border in the world, said the experience of traveling back and forth between the United States and Canada wasn’t like crossing other international borders.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for undefended
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Trouba opened the scoring in the first period with an undefended slap shot after an egregious Blackhawks turnover.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
Mark Collins, who was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada, said Canadians have long treasured their friendship with the United States and the fact that the US-Canada border is the longest undefended border on the planet.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
Even with changes that came after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Abdool, noting the reputation of the longest undefended border in the world, said the experience of traveling back and forth between the United States and Canada wasn’t like crossing other international borders.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for undefended
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undefended
Adjective
-
McGarry, while supportive of the county's initial steps, remains skeptical that the ordinance goes far enough to protect the most vulnerable residents.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
So, to see an Asian woman being vulnerable and trying to put herself out there, even though she's been hurt and has trust issues.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Over the course of a 60-yard run, Maradona danced past opponents, escaped challenges and left English defenders helpless before beating the goalkeeper with a clinical finish.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
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Arturo has grown used to driving by traffic stops, then circling back to move his friends’ and neighbors’ abandoned cars to their helpless families left behind.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Another potential area of concern is that, because copper levels in the body are tightly regulated, excessive supplementation could theoretically contribute to toxicity or interfere with other minerals in susceptible individuals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
While familiar favorites such as peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, and nectarines fall into the stone fruit category, some are more susceptible to pests and diseases than others.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Knight is on the move for a second straight offseason after being left unprotected by Seattle.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
For too long, this house was unprotected.—
Carrie McCrossen,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undefended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undefended. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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