defensive
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.
The 20-year-old's huge serve and defensive solidity is complemented by fluid movement, best demonstrated in a magnificent quarter-final win over Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
That would mean a shaky defensive lineup with the game still on the line in the ninth, with pitchers forced to hit if it went into extra innings.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
It still was far from their worst defensive showing of the season, and mostly they couldn’t claw their way back with a paltry 30.8% from the field.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
But to nearly everyone’s astonishment, Mr. Niemann, the 19-year-old John McEnroe of chess, has put the normally unflappable Mr. Carlsen, playing the white pieces, on the defensive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Bill was coded as defensive, as it turned out, for forty of the first sixty-six seconds of their conversation.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Vocabulary lists containing defensive
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Tone and Point of View, List 1
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