defenseman

noun

de·fense·man di-ˈfen(t)s-mən

-ˌman

: a player in a sport (such as hockey) who is assigned to a defensive zone or position

Examples of defenseman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Husso stopped 23 shots for Anaheim, which is without injured defensemen Pavel Mintyukov and Ian Moore on its already shallow blue line. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026 Malkin controlled Lapierre’s dump-in attempt near the blue line, toe-dragged past Panther defenseman Gustav Forsling in the slot and beat Black with a wrist shot. — Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 In December, the Vancouver Canucks traded star defenseman Quinn Hughes, a brother of Jack and teammate Luke, to the Minnesota Wild. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns played his 1,015th consecutive game. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defenseman

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of defenseman was in 1877

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Style

“Defenseman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defenseman. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

defenseman

noun

de·fense·man -mən

-ˌman

: a player in a sport who is assigned to a defensive zone or position

defenseman

noun

Examples of defenseman in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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