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Synonyms

on the defensive

Idioms  

  1. Prepared for withstanding aggression or attack, as in The debate team's plan was to keep their opponents on the defensive, or This teacher put students on the defensive about their mistakes. [c. 1600]

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.

But Messerschmidt now finds himself on the defensive.

From Los Angeles Times

USC still managed to add five players on the defensive end, including one of the top defensive backs available in Iowa State’s Jontez Williams.

From Los Angeles Times

For Patterson, getting the best out of his defenders never proved to be a problem at TCU, where he was known for unearthing underrated prospects on the defensive end.

From Los Angeles Times

“The dollar is back on the defensive,” Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Corpay Cross-Border Solutions, said in a Monday note.

From MarketWatch

“The dollar is back on the defensive,” Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Corpay Cross-Border Solutions, said in a Monday note.

From MarketWatch

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.