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.

At 2:10 a.m., eight hours after the shooting, Jones filed a report concluding that Spivey’s homicide appeared a clear case of self-defense.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 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

After the four-day civil hearing, Circuit Court Judge Eugene C. Griffith Jr. said Boyd’s self-defense claim wasn’t credible, and he ruled that Boyd wasn’t entitled to civil and criminal immunity under the state’s stand-your-ground law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

This includes Massachusetts, where courts consider factors such as the characteristics of any weapon used when evaluating whether a self-defense shooting was proportional.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

For most of the war the Po-2s of the 46th Guards weren’t even equipped with self-defense machine guns.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein