defend
verb (used with object)
to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury (usually followed by from oragainst ).
has been defending
-
present perfect progressiveof defend (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
For months, she has been defending Fire Point against allegations of corruption and accusations that have accompanied the company's meteoric rise.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The 69 year-old chief executive and de-facto leader of the nation’s finance executives has been defending Powell and the Fed from attempts at political interference for months, both publicly and privately to the president.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
Ramzi Kassem, a law professor and part of Khalil’s legal team, has been defending Arab and Muslim Americans for decades.
From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2025
David Moyes has been defending his lack of substitutions during games but I just wonder if fatigue will play a part here.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2023
And the joke of it is, that he has been defending Crawley in Crawley's teeth.
From The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope
