How to Use zone defense in a Sentence

zone defense

noun
  • So, hello zone defense, my old friend?
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
  • When the teams resumed play, the Bears switched to a zone defense.
    — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 21 Jan. 2018
  • But Marquette’s zone defense soon cut off paths through the lane.
    — David Woods, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2022
  • Brad Calipari manned the tip of the spear at the top of a zone defense.
    — Fletcher Page, The Courier-Journal, 17 Jan. 2018
  • That’s much more of a challenge than finding the gaps in a zone defense.
    — Michael Casagrande | [email protected], al, 20 Sep. 2021
  • The Golden Hawks then went to a zone defense.
    — Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
  • And a zone defense can only cover up for so much on the other end of the floor.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024
  • The Knicks again threw zone defense at the Heat’s new-look offense.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 Nov. 2025
  • Sparks said his team’s zone defense helped keep McClure out of the lane.
    — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 3 Mar. 2022
  • Xavier coach Travis Steele doesn't whip out the zone defense very often.
    — Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2021
  • The Heat’s zone defense again was a talking point at the morning shootaround.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2022
  • Chou said the game plan was to get Utah out of its zone defense and attack from the perimeter.
    — Joe Reedy, Star Tribune, 10 Jan. 2021
  • And the ample use of zone defense has often masked the Heat’s size issues.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024
  • Their switch to a zone defense had led to a Golden State three-pointer.
    — Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2021
  • This week, the Titans were ready for it and played two high safeties and kept plays in front of them with heavy zone defense.
    — Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Oct. 2022
  • The 3-2 zone defense that Bolingbrook played for most of the game.
    — Rick Armstrong, chicagotribune.com, 5 Mar. 2022
  • For now, zone defense might be the best way to get him or Omer Yurtseven on the floor.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2022
  • The Heat expects to see more zone defense moving forward.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 Nov. 2025
  • The Lakers rolled out a zone defense to begin the second quarter.
    — Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
  • Maryland switched to a zone defense and went on a commanding 11-0 run to cut the deficit to one.
    — Ryan McFadden, baltimoresun.com, 3 Jan. 2022
  • That’s roughly the time Dallas returned to the zone defense that worked well in the first quarter.
    — Dallas News, 27 Feb. 2020
  • And at this point, no team knows the cost of porous red-zone defense better than the Patriots.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
  • The age-old UConn issues with the zone defense have been apparent in the first three games.
    — Dom Amore, courant.com, 4 Dec. 2020
  • Malone and the Fords’ coaching staff were aware that the Quakers play a tough zone defense.
    — Aaron Carter, Philly.com, 13 Apr. 2018
  • But the Tigers were happy to stick in a zone defense all night and dare the Longhorns to jack up jumper after jumper.
    — Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 18 Dec. 2017
  • With the Heat staying in its zone defense for most of the night, the Warriors struggled to make shots.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
  • But the zone defense was critical to helping slow the pace for a team trying to survive its fifth game in seven days.
    — Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
  • Against the Rams' zone defense, IU went 2-of-12 from 3 in the first half.
    — Jeremy Price, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Mar. 2021
  • The visiting Spartans showed a 1-3-1 zone defense for most of the game.
    — Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
  • But Denver’s red-zone defense is just too good to let Las Vegas turn this into a shootout.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zone 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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