defense mechanism
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.
Experts say rattlesnakes typically don’t bite unless they feel threatened and use their bite as a defense mechanism.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
For Divon, Pallywood is less a conspiracy theory than a psychological defense mechanism.
From Slate • May 30, 2025
Maybe that’s shock or some sort defense mechanism, or shutting down.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025
"There is no other vegetable with a defense mechanism that if you attack it, it will spit sulfuric acid in your eyes."
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2024
It just about shattered every defense mechanism and every pretext I had against going to school.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
