self-defense

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 other man armed himself with a hammer in self-defense, police said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

This could be a Chapter IV mandate adopted by the United Nations Security Council, which includes permission to use force not just in self-defense.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

In 1993, Jackson told Rolling Stone interviewer David Ritz that “Nasty” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately” were born out of a sense of self-defense.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

Black paired up with Marcello Hernández to play martial arts instructors who teach unorthodox self-defense methods.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Nearly every cellular function—metabolism, respiration, cell division, self-defense, waste disposal, secretion, signaling, growth, even cellular death—requires proteins.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee