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.
Manufacturers are suddenly on the defensive, not just in China and elsewhere, but also at home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Lastly, defense stocks in general shouldn’t be on the defensive at this moment: Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, has committed $10 billion External link of the bank’s capital to invest in defense-related companies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
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
Mangelsdorf’s side found itself on the defensive; litis had gleefully pointed out that the “wild maize” cobs from the Tehuacan Valley were identical to those of an unusual, fully domesticated variety of popcorn from Argentina.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
