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

“It was a defense mechanism because of my past history.”

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2025

My greatest fears began to unfold as I crept back into the only defense mechanism I’ve ever known.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2024

We had created this idea of ourselves as a defense mechanism to survive in the world we were living in.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah