on the defensive
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He added that investors were right to go on the defensive.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
In a combative setting, Vance can dismantle an argument, redirect a question and put his interlocutor on the defensive.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
But in a sign that he won't easily be thrown on the defensive, Talarico's campaign also issued a new product for fans: "Talafreako" T-shirts.
From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026
But to nearly everyone’s astonishment, Mr. Niemann, the 19-year-old John McEnroe of chess, has put the normally unflappable Mr. Carlsen, playing the white pieces, on the defensive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
“No—not sneaking—” Now Lily was on the defensive.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
