on the 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.
He’s staying on the defensive until oil flows normalize, betting on companies with strong balance sheets and those involved in the AI infrastructure buildout, such as John Deere, Caterpillar, and HVAC-maker Johnson Controls.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
OpenAI’s top executives are finalizing plans for a major strategy shift to refocus the company around coding and business users, recognizing that a “do everything all at once” strategy has put them on the defensive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
“It just showed a lot of her mental toughness that, when we needed her the most, she was going to be there for us on the defensive end and on the rebounding end.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026
Third, if you do confront the team, you need conflict-management skills: How will you approach the problem without putting people on the defensive?
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
But off camera, his confidence was paper-thin, and he could be quickly thrown on the defensive.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
