defensive
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.
The two sides have exchanged drone and missile fire, though each has characterized the actions as limited and defensive rather than a collapse of the truce.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
But with the Cleveland Browns, the five-time All-Pro defensive end never came close to reaching the Super Bowl.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
In the year that followed, the tech index shed 60% of its value, while humiliated defensive names staged a massive comeback, with utilities and consumer staples gaining 25% and 24%, respectively.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Before her disappearance, Casias, 53, worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where leading defensive nuclear research is conducted and where the world's first atomic weapons were developed during World War II.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
I brace myself for Dad to get defensive, but he nods.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Vocabulary lists containing defensive
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Tone and Point of View, List 1
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