zone defense

American  

noun

Sports.

1. a method of defense, especially in basketball and football, in which each member of the defensive team guards a specified portion of the playing area.

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Etymology

Origin of zone defense

First recorded in 1925–30

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zone defense

Failing that, the air-defense centers coordinate responses up the echelon both geographically and kinetically, like a zone defense in football.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

The Lakers put two defenders on Kawhi Leonard, double teaming the Clippers’ best offensive weapon, keeping a crowd of defenders around him, especially when they employed their zone defense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2026

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 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

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