How to Use defense in a Sentence

defense

1 of 2 noun
  • The city's defenses were not strong enough to keep out the invaders.
  • They put up a good defense, but the city ultimately fell to the invaders.
  • They mounted a good defense.
  • We need to improve our defenses.
  • This is not a team known for defense.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • What is wrong with this defense?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • How will the first-team defense look?
    — Nick Harris june 1, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 June 2026
  • Maybe their defense saves them.
    — Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Plus the Knicks will move him around on defense.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
  • Who says these teams are all offense and no defense?
    — Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Hill pleaded not guilty and took the stand in his own defense.
    — Deena Zaru, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2023
  • And that win came because of defense, of all things.
    — Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Their run defense has done diddly-poo.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Our defense was playing lights out.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The right’s defense is equally blunt.
    — Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Add help for Josh Allen or fill some holes on defense.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • When heathy, Kancey has been a big part of the Bucs defense.
    — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The past two months have been a test of defenses and supply chains.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 May 2026
  • The news certainly aligned with her record as a defense hawk.
    — Nikhil Kumar, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Brown confirmed that the key to the comeback was defense.
    — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Shrink the floor on defense and get back to taking away driving lanes.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 11 May 2026
  • Self has called out his team’s defense multiple times in the last week or so.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Iran — much like Venezuela — has air defenses against drones.
    — Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Popov will testify in his own defense, his lawyer vowed.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
  • Auburn may have the best defense in college football.
    — Matt Hayes, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Iowa State’s defense, though, is pretty good.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Porter insists defenses haven’t changed the rules on him.
    — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • How about beefing up that already stout defense?
    — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
  • His defense has never been in question.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • The parody defense serves the project well.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026

defense

2 of 2 verb
  • Dom Ochoa, who made the move from quarterback to just defense this year.
    — Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2022
  • What defenses does the US have?
    — William Akoto, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Ramos recorded four passes defensed in four games last season.
    — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
  • When the pace slows, and defenses key in on her in the halfcourt, buckets have been harder to come by.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
  • The Rams would get the ball back but against the vaunted Packer defense their chances were slim.
    — Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2019
  • King had three tackles, a pass defensed and forced a pair of incompletions in the endzone.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Adams also moved Burke and Shen to defense last season but has switched them back to forward.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
  • All-American, but the Gators moved the bulky lineman to defense.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, sun-sentinel.com, 28 Apr. 2021
  • Hadden finished strong, though, with a pair of passes defensed against Seattle.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Only then can defense attorneys and the public challenge the plan, Gilmer said.
    — Ken Ritter, Star Tribune, 20 May 2021
  • Forest counts themselves among the worst Premier League defenses away from home.
    — Nick Hennion, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Lamb’s selection means the club won’t take another receiver over the next two days and tilts the balance to defense the rest of the way.
    — David Moore, Dallas News, 23 Apr. 2020
  • Among the concerns for the Aztecs coming into the game was how to defense Boise State’s quarterback(s).
    — Kirk Kenney, sandiegouniontribune.com, 15 Oct. 2017
  • Bynum had four interceptions and eight passes defensed during his first season with the Colts last year.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 11 May 2026
  • Major League Baseball has made the games faster, the bases bigger and defense a little bit harder.
    — David Brandt, oregonlive, 9 July 2023
  • Congress could legislate what defenses the officers would and would not be allowed to have in those cases.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Offense was the focus of Thursday’s session, defense the word of the day Friday.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2023
  • Knight accounted for two of Seattle’s five sacks, contributed to one of three goal-line stands and had one of the team’s 10 passes defensed.
    — Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The 6-2, 191-pounder had 10 passes defensed in 2025.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Jackson established career highs with four interceptions and 19 passes defensed, which tied for the league lead.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Remember that ghastly defense that kept the Wizards out of the playoffs last season and battled Cleveland for the last spot?
    — Chris Fedor, cleveland, 15 Mar. 2021
  • In fact, the alliance had long ago set a goal that each member would devote at least 2 percent of GDP to defense in their own budgets.
    — The Washington Post, Twin Cities, 17 Mar. 2017
  • Bethel had 16 tackles, an interception and four passes defensed on defense in his first year in Miami.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Last year, Sutton set career-highs with three interceptions and 15 passes defensed in 16 games.
    — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2023
  • These are some of the questions that defense attorneys asked a Yale University student who brought a rape complaint against her classmate.
    — Katie Reilly, Time, 9 Mar. 2018
  • Still, in O’Connell’s four seasons at the helm, the team has not had an elite running back, the type of player that forces defenses to bring a safety down and play a different way.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The cornerback used his physicality to post 45 tackles to go along with an interception and three passes defensed.
    — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Almost 20 pounds heavier than Hall, Allen will bully defenses up the middle and cut into Hall’s usage.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025
  • The lack of ball production is a concern, but McCutchin had 10 passes defensed in 2025.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Mickelson was not called to testify; his attorney had told both the prosecution and defense his client would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.
    — Gene Wang, Washington Post, 15 May 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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