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defense, protection, guard, ward; shielding; propugnation, preservation; guardianship., self-defense, self-preservation; resistance., safeguard (safety); balistraria; screen (shelter); (concealment); fortification; munition, muniment; bulwark, fosse, moat, ditch, intrenchment; kila; dike, dyke; parapet, sunk fence, embankment, mound, mole, bank; earth work, field-work; fence, wall dead wall, contravallation; paling (enclosure); palisade, haha, stockade, stoccado, laager, sangar; barrier, barricade; boom; portcullis, chevaux de frise; abatis, abattis, abbatis; vallum, circumvallation, battlement, rampart, scarp; escarp, counterscarp; glacis, casemate; vallation, vanfos., buttress, abutment; shore (support)., breastwork, banquette, curtain, mantlet, bastion, redan, ravelin; vauntmure; advance work, horn work, outwork; barbacan, barbican; redoubt; fort-elage, fort-alice; lines., loophole, machicolation; sally port., hold, stronghold, fastness; asylum (refuge); keep, donjon, fortress, citadel, capitol, castle; tower of strength, tower of strength; fort, barracoon, pah, sconce, martello tower, peelhouse, blockhouse, rath; wooden walls., buffer, corner stone, fender, apron, mask, gauntlet, thimble, carapace, armor, shield, buckler, aegis, breastplate, backplate, cowcatcher, face guard, scutum, cuirass, habergeon, mail, coat of mail, brigandine, hauberk, lorication, helmet, helm, bassinet, salade, heaume, morion, murrion, armet, cabasset, vizor, casquetel, siege cap, headpiece, casque, pickethaube, vambrace, shako (dress) [more]., bearskin; panoply; truncheon (weapon)., garrison, picket, piquet; defender, protector; guardian (safety); bodyguard, champion; knight-errant, Paladin; propugner.

defend, forfend, fend; shield, screen, shroud; engarrison; fend round (circumscribe); fence, intrench; guard (keep safe); guard against; take care of (vigilance); bear harmless; fend off, keep off, ward off, beat off; hinder., parry, repel, propugn, put to flight; give a warm reception to [ironical]; hold at bay, keep at bay, keep arm's length., stand on the defensive, act on the defensive; show fight; maintain one;s ground, stand one's ground; stand by; hold one's own; bear the brunt, stand the brunt; fall back upon, hold, stand in the gap.

defending; defensive; mural; armed, armed at all points, armed cap-a-pie, armed to the teeth; panoplied; ironplated, ironclad; loopholed, castellated, machicolated, casemated; defendedv.; proof against., ballproof, bulletproof.

defensively; on the defense, on the defensive; in defense; at bay, pro aris et focis.

pretext, pretense, pretension, plea; allegation, advocation; ostensible motive, subterfuge, obtensible ground, obtensible reason, phony reason; excuse (vindication); color; gloss, guise, cover., loophole, starting hole; how to creep out of, salvo, come off; way of escape., handle, peg to hang on, room, locus standi; stalking-horse, cheval de bataille, cue., pretense (untruth); put off, dust thrown in the eyes; blind; moonshine; mere pretext, shallow pretext; lame excuse, lame apology; tub to a whale; false plea, sour grapes; makeshift, shift, white lie; special pleading (sophistry); soft sawder (flattery).

pretend, plead, allege; shelter oneself under the plea of; excuse (vindicate); lend a color to; furnish a handle; make a pretext of, make a handle of; use as a plea; take one's stand upon, make capital out of , pretend (lie) [more].

ostensibly (manifest); alleged, apologetic; pretended.

ostensibly; under color; under the plea, under the pretense of, under the guise of.