View synonyms for

on the defensive

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Idioms and Phrases

Prepared for withstanding aggression or attack, as in The debate team's plan was to keep their opponents on the defensive , or This teacher put students on the defensive about their mistakes . [c. 1600]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Stars from the reality television show Love On The Spectrum went on the defensive after Robert F Kennedy Jr commented that people with autism make limited contributions to society.

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Luka Doncic, who had been fully engaged on the defensive side of the ball, was flat-footed as Anthony Edwards rammed into the paint.

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It would force Reaves to fight like hell for every step on the defensive end.

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“He was 265 junior year and 285 senior. He played like a linebacker on the defensive line.”

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During that stretch, James said part of his consistent effort on the defensive end was about showing his son, Bronny, what it took to win in the league.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

on the cuff on the dot

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