zone defense
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of zone defense
First recorded in 1925–30
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 the zone defense was critical to helping slow the pace for a team trying to survive its fifth game in seven days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
Those underdogs tend to follow a simple recipe—they have one or two elite skills, like 3-point shooting or an airtight zone defense, that can tilt a seeming mismatch in their favor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
The team had mostly played well against the Magic, minus a clunky third quarter when a 10-point lead vanished as Orlando’s zone defense stalled the Lakers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024
They didn’t make a basket again until 3:01 into the second half — a stretch of 9 minutes, 53 seconds — as Oregon befuddled the Wildcats with a zone defense for much of that stretch.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
The second-string girls’ team is going over a zone defense, so Erin’s back is against the wall; she’s hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
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.
