defend
verb (used with object)
to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from oragainst ).
had been defending
-
past perfect progressiveof defend.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rupee has been under pressure since the central bank allowed it to breach 88.80 in November—a level it had been defending since October, said Michael Wan, senior currency analyst at MUFG.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
Two law firms that had been defending him against lawsuits by Dominion and Smartmatic quit last fall.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
Several speakers alleged that Faintich had been defending another student during the incident.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2022
Consul-General Zheng Xiyuan said his staff, including himself, had been defending themselves after protesters had stormed the grounds in an unprovoked attack.
From Reuters ● Nov. 21, 2022
For six months, the 586th Regiment had been defending strategic positions in their dangerous solo Yak fighters and the 588th Regiment had been harassing German troops with bombs dropped from their flimsy Po-2s.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
